Martin Gray has reaffirmed his long-term future to Darlington, taking the opportunity to dismiss speculation that he could link up again with Dave Penney.

He has been assistant manager at both Quakers and Oldham Athletic to Dave Penney whose name has been linked to the vacant managerial position at Hartlepool United.

Penney has been out of football since early last year, when he was sacked by Bristol Rovers, and is looking for the right opportunity to return.

But Gray says he would reject an opportunity to return to full-time football, and revealed that he turned down the opportunity to apply for the job at Coventry City.

Asked if he would be interested in return to professional football, Gray said: "Not at all. This is my club and I want to do something here. Hartlepool or whoever it may be, my future is at Darlington.

"If Oldham Athletic, for example, came in for me, I wouldn't leave Darlington at all. I've had a few phone calls lately from various people; I got one from an agent about the Coventry job asking me to apply.

"But I've got a fantastic staff, a good group of players and my business is tied into the football club, so why would I want to leave?

"There's no temptation for me. I want to get this club back in the Football League in five or six years time and I wanted to be the person, along with the rest of the staff, who does it."

Quakers coaches Sean Gregan, Brian Atkinson and Tony Norman are all employed by the Martin Gray Football Academy and Gray paid tribute to them.

He said: "The staff play a massive part here.

"Harry Dunn is scouting all of the time and everybody is mucking in.

"We're a real team off the pitch and I want them to be a part of us when we get back up in a few years time."

Gray's first season as a manager has started in emphatic fashion with Quakers winning 16 of their 17 league games, leaving them top of the Ebac Northern League.

They had to come back from goal down last Saturday, however, having put in a poor first 45 minutes at Billingham Synthonia who led 1-0 at the break.

But Darlington improved hugely in the second period and took the points thanks to second half goals from Gary Brown, Chris Emms, Stephen Thompson and Leon Scott.

"There's pressure on the players because they're expected to get results all of the time, but it's not going to happen every week," said Gray, whose team are at home to Whitley Bay today.

"We managed the game better the longer that it went on.

"It's always important to say in the contest as long as you can, that's something David Hodgson and Dave Penney would always say.

"As long as there's only one goal in it, it's game on. When there's two or three goals in it then it's very difficult to come back at any level.

"We stayed in the game and didn't get anxious to get forward and try anything unbelievable, we just got back to doing what we expect of them."

Craig Gott is free from suspension and he will today replace Adam Clough in midfield in the only change against a Whitley Bay team who are fourth having won six of their past seven games.

Manager Ian Chandler says his team may need to "contain" Quakers, who have now scored 60 goals.

He said: "It's evident Darlington are destroying teams at will at the moment, so it looks like a very difficult encounter is on the cards. I see us as massive underdogs for this game, with our defence severely tested!

"I think we need contain Darlington and maybe hit them on the odd breakaway. On the other hand, if we perform to our best I see us giving Darlington a good game in front of a monster crowd."

Whitley are without midfielder Craig McFarlane, but centre-back Chris Reid is expected to pass a late fitness test as is another defender, Brad Brooking, who scored earlier in the season for Hebburn against Quakers in the Durham Challenge Cup.

Chandler scored the winning goal for Whitley in an FA Vase final ten years ago and then managed them to three more victories at Wembley, the third coming the day after Darlington won at Wembley in May 2011.