Bartlett: I'm well capable of competing at the elite level

Despite previously leading Golden Arrows to promotion from the first division in 2015 - only to be replaced at the helm - Bartlett is set for his topflight bow as coach when Spurs become one of the top 16 teams in the country in the 2023/24 season.

However, he has been awarded a new two-year contract to remain with the Urban Warriors, allowing him to test himself and his abilities in the premier division alongside the likes of Gavin Hunt, Rulani Mokwena, and Jose Riveiro.

"As a player, you wanna compete against the best players in the world, it's something I was blessed enough to have done, and the coaching is not different. You want to compete against the best”, he told SABC Sport.

“The DStv Premiership in South Africa is the highest level of football, the elite level. It's something I'm looking forward to, and quite excited about. To test myself against some of the best in the country will be challenging, but I think I'm well capable in my own ability, and also with the support I have from the technical staff, which is very important.” 

Bartlett grasped the value of shrewd minds alongside the head coach during his time as a player in England, particularly in the Premier League, with Charlton Athletic. Which he believes he has in Naasief Morris and Calvin Marlin.

"In England, there's a saying: 'You're only as good as your number two'. Your support staff plays a big role, and I'm not the type of coach where the support staff is there to pick up cones. 

“They've got to be there to challenge me. We speak about a lot of things, it's not just me that's making a decision, we come to a conclusive decision, after a discussion. The technical team also plays a big part.

"Yes, my head will always be on the block, but I think it's important to also acknowledge that you need the support of the support staff around you." 

His relationship with his assistant and goalkeeper coach stretches back to Bafana Bafana days, and their different playing experiences are what Bartlett highlights as pivotal to their management successes over the last 18 months.

There won't be many changes in the Spurs dugout in the new season, although the appointment of a Diski Challenge coach will also see the successful candidate become the de facto second assistant in the first team setup.

"As far as the technical team, we're keeping everything the same. We just need to add on for DDC now and I think that will become, sort of, like an assistant to me in the first team.

"Similar to the players nowadays when you've signed a player you don't just sign a right-back he's got to play centre-back or central midfield. So, it's having that flexibility and versatility as far as doing one or two jobs."