Former player and Waterhouse Premier League coach Boris Johnson will lead Excelsior High School into this season’s ISSA Schoolboy Manning Cup competition following the exit of Leebert Halliman who stepped down to take over the reins at Hydel.

According to Xavier Gilbert, head of the Mountain View-based school’s sports department, Johnson has been appointed from June after losing the services of Halliman.

“He (Johnson) has been working with us over these years and with a lot of clubs… he also has good connections with overseas colleges and he can assist the youngsters in getting scholarships,” said Gilbert.

“But he is a very good coach who can help with the total development of the youngsters and those are the reasons why we chose him,” he added.

Gilbert said Halliman, who brought the school many successes, left abruptly and they had to find a replacement urgently.

“It was he who decided that he wanted to give us a break, I cannot explain it… but he has done tremendously well during his time at Excelsior winning three Manning Cups and a Walker Cup title.

“The school really appreciates what he has done, we just hope Boris can take up where he left off and bring us (more) success,” Gilbert noted.

Glibert said the players have responded well to Johnson since he took over, but warned supporters that they should not expect any miracles from the young coach.

“This is his first time at this level and it’s the first season the youngsters are going to play for him, so it would be unfair to expect magical things from him… but he is a very competent coach and individual and we anticipate that he will do well,” he added.

Efforts to reach Halliman for comment up to press proved futile.