IT must feel strange for Chris Brass to be told what to do on the field of play instead of dishing out the orders.

But the former York City player-boss isn't worried about making that transformation from 'chief' to 'indian', he's just glad to be back in the Football League with the Shakers.

The 30-year-old Easington-born defender has had a rollercoaster three years with the Minstermen, culminating in him severing his ties last week.

And Bury manager Chris Casper moved quickly to secure the signature of the former Burnley captain who made his debut in the 3-1 defeat at Boston last Saturday.

Brass, like Casper, hit the headlines as the youngest Football League boss when he took over at Bootham Crescent three years ago when aged 27.

But relegation to the Nationwide Conference in his first year, coupled with off-the-field financial turmoil surrounding ownership of the ground, meant the job proved a poison chalice and he was relieved of his managerial duties after 16 months.

Still registered as a player, Brass ended up being cynically left out in the cold by boss Billy McEwan in the hope he would ease the financial burden by leaving.

After recovering from a cruciate ligament injury he was loaned out to Conference North promotion-chasers Harrogate Town and Nationwide Conference strugglers Southport this season but now, after reaching an agreement with York he was free to find himself a league club and that's where Bury came in.

"I kept on believing I could get back into the league but when I was at York I was dictated to where I could go," he explained.

"Once the decision became mine, thankfully, there were enough people still interested in me.

"I've had a few kicks in football, as we all do in life, but it's how you bounce back that matters.

"I know a lot about Bury, it is a good club and there are some good professionals and individuals here.

"The thing is we don't want to be just cementing a place in the Football League, we want to be taking the club higher."

With the club currently fourth from bottom of the basement division Brass knows better than anybody what Casper has on his plate in the manager's office.

He also has an idea what might be required to shake off the inconsistency that has plagued results in recent weeks.

"If you are a manager you can only do so much, you have to trust the people on the pitch and that can be frustrating," he said.

"But they are a good honest bunch of lads here and if I could put my finger on what the problem was I'd probably still be a manager.

"Players have to be honest with themselves, you can't hide or go off sulking, you have to be big and ugly enough to take criticism. If nothing changes you are out of a job as a footballer.

"You have take it on the chin and make sure it doesn't happen again.

"Then again, it if keeps happening, Chris has some decisions to make.

"Success is built on clean sheets and sometimes it can be a horrible game to play, taking the knocks to keep the ball out of the net then winning 1-0 with a scrappy goal.

"Some games aren't about playing beautiful football, it's about rolling up your sleeves and putting your head in where it hurts."

While it might not be what the purists want to hear, that's the kind of fighting talk that should stand the Shakers in good stead for the rest of the season at least.