Teddy Sheringham has said defeats as a manager hurt more than when he was a player – but he is still loving his new job.

The Stevenage boss took over the reins at The Lamex Stadium in May, his first job in management.

And despite an indifferent start he is still enjoying every minute.

Speaking ahead of his side’s visit to Cambridge, Sheringham admitted the defeat to Barnet in last Saturday’s game was tough to take.

But it hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for the role.

He said: “It probably hurts more as a manager than it did as a player, if that can be the case.

“When you’re in sport you don’t like losing. That’s why you’re in, because you like competing.

“While I was out of the game, if I hadn’t competed in anything, whether that is tennis or five-a-side, I got a little bit restless.

“I like competing but obviously I don’t like losing.

“It’s great to be here and it’s great that we’ve got a chance to put things right going into a game with Cambridge.”

He says the philosophy he is trying to bring to the team reflects his personality but it is one the players are striving to master.

He said: “I’ve said before your team should resemble what you are, what you want from a team, what you are as a person. That should come out.

“I would like to see a resilience and a never-say-die attitude, which they have anyway. That’s been instilled in them as a team over the last few years.

“I’ve got no problems with commitment at all from my players. I think they’ve been outstanding in that aspect.

“It’s just a case of new ideas, new management, new tactics, a new attitude and when you’re all trying to learn, you learn at different paces. Some people pick it up quicker than others.

“But it’s not about getting some of us to learn, it’s about all of getting to learn and all of us understanding what we need to do at the same time.

“That’s what being part of a team unit is about.”

And while the work may take time, he believes that staff and players alike will get there sooner rather than later.

He added: “I’ve got a good bunch of professionals here that I enjoy working with but it’s not just about them. It’s about me and my staff making the right decisions and putting across the right points for us to get better.

“Its all well and good talking and shouting and hollering, we need to improve as a team.

“That means all understanding and all picking out the right points to make us better.”