Jensen Rogers has made a seamless transition to new club Devonshire Cougars.

The 42-year-old joined the club from Premier Division rivals Somerset Trojans during the off-season and since then has settled in nicely in his new surroundings after being welcomed with open arms at the Den.

“The vibe has been excellent and already it feels like home. The welcome has been good from the players, the fans and the club so it’s been a good feeling,” Rogers told The Royal Gazette.

The former Trojans defender will share head coaching duties with long time friend Mark Mills.

“I’ve known Mark for a very long time. We actually travelled overseas with the Island Development Academy to the UK, so we’ve worked together overseas and we’ve always discussed about working together here locally,” Rogers said.

“When Kwame [Devonshire Recreation Club president Kwame Steede] pitched the project to me it sounded pretty good. It’s exciting times right now because it’s something new for me and also a project where I’m working with Kwame and Mark, who are two guys that I’ve known for years.

“I'm really excited for this opportunity. After several conversations with Kwame, I was struck by his honesty and passion. He was very transparent about where the club is and the clear steps needed to get it to where it deserves to be.

“Speaking with the staff and players, I felt that same passion and commitment. That made the decision to join very easy.”

Rogers has been familiarising himself with his players as he and his fellow coaching colleagues put them through their paces during preseason training.

“We started training two weeks ago and wanted to get in early so I can meet the players get them familiar with me and implement a few things from the start,” he said.

“Just trying to build a relationship early and the players have taken to the demands very well. The sessions have been good.

“Obviously it’s early days, but the commitment has been good from the players. I honestly could not have predicted a better start.”

Also new to Cougars coaching staff are Daniel Johnson, Dennis Eve and Juma Mouchette. Johnson has been appointed as goalkeeper coach, Eve as an analyst/assistant coach and Mouchette as the fitness coach. Darren Williams will continue serving as an assistant coach.

Cougars finished fifth in the Premier Division and reached the semi-final of the Dudley Eve Trophy and Friendship Trophy competitions last season.