Wycombe Wanderers caretaker manager Sam Grace said it is a ‘privilege’ to lead the club for the interim period and that his players are ‘an internally motivated group’.

The development coach will be looking after first-team duties at Adams Park following Matt Bloomfield’s sudden departure for Championship side Luton Town earlier this week.

He leaves the Adams Park outfit second in the League One table, two points behind league leaders Birmingham City.

Assistant manager Richard Thomas, goalkeeper coach Lee Harrison and analyst Ben Crine have also made their way to Kenilworth Road.

The search for a new manager to take over at HP12 has begun, with Grace, Harry Hudson and Matty Dye looking after things on an interim basis.

At the time of writing, Grace and his backroom staff are expected to take charge of the Chairboys’ fixture away at Mansfield Town this weekend.

Speaking exclusively to the Bucks Free Press after the Chairboys’ defeat to Beaconsfield Town in the Berks & Bucks Cup on January 14, Grace said: “I was told yesterday afternoon [January 13] about it, so I was straight on to watching footage for Mansfield.

“We had a training session today [January 14], putting in the principles and areas we’re looking to target and focus on – that will be the focus for the rest of the week.

“The players are an internally motivated group - you can see this with their training and application levels.

“It was really high and I’m pleased with that.

“We played Mansfield recently, they know what’s coming so it’s about us shining light on certain areas and highlighting where we want to play.

“We should be fully prepared for that.”

When asked about his new role, albeit on an interim basis, he added: “It is a privilege to help the club that I first started watching when I was four/five years old.

“This is why we do the coaching badges.

“This is where you want to get to and have more experiences and challenges.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

Prior to his inaugural game in charge of the first team on January 18, Grace lead out a Chairboys XI that faced Beaconsfield Town in the quarter-final of the Berks & Bucks Cup on Tuesday evening.

The Chairboys narrowly lost 4-3 against the Rams, and despite the squad being made up of numerous trialists, new development signings Ryan Cole and Bordy Peart found themselves on the scoresheet.

Cole, who signed for Wycombe earlier this month from Newmarket Town, got himself a brace, whilst Peart, who joined from Brighton and Hove Albion in July, scored a stunning free-kick.

Grace added: “Brody has worked on his directness and his one-on-ones so I am very pleased with that.

“His press and his set pieces [were also good], as he has been doing the same thing for Basingstoke in his last few games, as he has got a for goals from set pieces and free-kicks.

“With Ryan, I liked the quality of his strike and the timing of his header.

“He’s learning from a different position in midfield and he’s still very much getting up to speed as he’s getting used to training full-time.

“There were lots of positives [to take] from his goals.”