While Paul Telfer is starting a new life coaching in America, he is adamant his old Sutton United friends will be winning promotion to the Skrill Premier.

Tefler is set to join Indy 11, a new US football franchise based in Indianapolis, in time for the new North America Soccer League season in April.

The 42-year-old former Celtic, Southampton and Coventry City defender is taking up a coaching role at a club that will applying to join Major League Soccer within two years.

But he leaves behind a United side that he believes has the players who, should it be necessary, will win the Skrill South play-offs.

“United will definitely get into the play-offs, but if those above them trip up it might not come to that,” he said.

“The team has a lot of strong characters, and if they end up in the play-offs I think they will win.”

He added: “Against Basingstoke some of the goals that Sutton scored were terrific. Jamie Taylor looks lively, Damien Scannell is starting to come good and Gavin McCallum looks good.”

Telfer joined the United coaching staff in 2011 after a chance encounter with boss Paul Doswell, and although a move into non-League football was not high on his agenda, it is a decision he does not regret.

“Coming from professional football, playing the Premier League and Champions League, I was tentative at coming to non-League,” he said.

“I would have not got involved if it was not for Dos. He lives in a road neighbouring me and I was out running and he happened to see me, he nearly ran me over in fact, and he talked me into it.”

He added: “What I did not expect was the honesty and enthusiasm people have at grass roots level.

“The work that goes on by people at United who don’t get paid for what they are doing. People like Clive Baxter are unbelievable, what he does for the club as a volunteer is amazing.

“United is a club that is in very good condition. There are clubs that don’t have a sustainable budget, where they pull the plug on wages as a season goes on, but United is so well run by such nice people.

“I will miss that most of all.”

More next week on Telfer’s trans-Atlantic move.

Surrey Comet:

Double act: Paul Telfer and Paul Doswell