Dover Athletic have unveiled former Gillingham striker Nicky Forster as the club’s new manager.

The former Brentford boss has signed a one-year contract and brings Steve Brown from Brighton as his assistant.

Whites’ chairman Jim Parmenter moved swiftly to install the talented young manager before this weekend’s FA Cup tie against Carshalton at Perrys Crabble.

Forster, 38, left Brentford in the summer after four months as caretaker manager at Griffin Park. He led the Bees to 11th place in League One and the final of the Football League Trophy at Wembley Stadium.

As a player he scored nearly 200 goals in over 600 appearances in the Football League for clubs such as Birmingham, Brentford, Reading and Brighton. His clubs paid a combined £2m in transfer fees for his services during a 19-year professional career.

In recent weeks Nicky has been playing for Sussex County League side Lingfield, scoring 15 goals in nine appearances, until the right management job arose.

Jim Parmenter told doverathletic.com: “Nicky has had an impressive playing career at some big clubs and did very well during his time as manager at Brentford.

“As well as having both UEFA A and B licenses, he is also a great man manager and motivator.

“Nicky is totally enthused by the prospect of managing the club and we look forward to a very successful future.”

Whites’ new boss has appointed Steve Brown as his assistant. The former Charlton defender has significant playing and coaching experience, having been Charlton’s youth team manager and West Ham’s reserve team boss in recent years.

Brown played for just two clubs before retiring in 2005. He enjoyed 12 seasons at Charlton, where he made 242 appearances and played in the Premier League for four seasons. In 2002 he moved to Reading, where he finished his career.

Steve started coaching towards the end of his playing career and was appointed West Ham’s reserve team boss by Alan Pardew in 2007. He has most recently been Brighton’s youth team manager.