JULIAN DICKS quit his role as boss of Heybridge Swifts after a disagreement over budget cuts.
The West Ham legend, 57, walked out on the club after 17 months in charge.
The former left-back made 326 appearances for the Hammers across two spells[/caption]
This was his third stint with the Essex outfit, who are in the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.
Dicks said: “I decided to leave Heybridge on Saturday night after I was told that the already lower budget was being cut again.
“This, amongst other issues, and certain people at the club, has led me to make this decision.
“I believe the players and the fans deserve more. All the best for the season.”
In a statement, Heybridge – who are 16th in the Isthmian League North Division – said: “We can confirm that Julian Dicks has resigned from his position as first-team manager.
“We’d like to thank Julian for his time, effort and commitment during his spell in charge and wish him all the best for the future.
“Adrian Whitbread will take charge of the first team on an interim basis while the club explores its options.”
Dicks started his playing career with Birmingham City before joining West Ham in 1988, the first of two spells with the East London club.
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He featured 159 times for the Hammers initially, scoring 29 goals before joining Liverpool in a swap deal in 1993.
But he spent just over a year an Anfield before returning to Upton Park, where he would stay for another five years.
After rounding off his plays days with Canvey Island, he embarked on a managerial career and had spells with Wivenhoe Town and Grays Athletic.
He then rejoined West Ham, initially managing the women’s team, before working as a coach under Slaven Bilic until 2017.
Dicks was hired by Heybridge for his first stint at the club in 2018, staying for just a year before moving to West Brom as a first team coach.
He would go back to Heybridge in 2021 for just six months and then had a spell in Watford’s staff a year later.
He joined Heybridge for the third time last summer.
