Rossi Eames, the long-serving Barnet coach, has confirmed he will be leaving the Bees with immediate effect after nine years at the club in a heartfelt open letter.

The club, led by chairman Tony Kleanthous, have since gone on record to express their gratitude to Eames for his service over the best part of the last decade, a role that saw him rise to first-team boss before stepping down in November 2017.

Eames originally joined the club as a video analyst in 2009 with the Barnet Academy, before turning his hand to coaching where he progressed through the various age groups to reach the senior side in 2015.

There he would work under Barnet legend Martin Allen, later becoming caretaker manager on two separate occasions during the 2016/17 campaign.

Having done enough to impress the Bees hierarchy, Eames became the youngest head coach in English professional football when he stepped up on a permanent basis, only to step down just three months into the 2017/18 season.

From there, Eames returned to his bread and butter – taking on the role of head of player development in the club’s academy, a role he now formally steps down from with his departure from the Hive.

Kleanthous was quick to pay tribute to the dedication shown by Eames over a number of years and in a multitude of roles, describing him as a “fabulous servant and a friend of the club”.

Eames, unsurprisingly, had the fans at the heart of his farewell message on the club's website, thanking them for their unconditional support throughout his time with the Bees.

He said: “After careful thought and consideration, working over eight seasons at Barnet Football Club, it is now time to move on. I would like to thank everybody that I have worked with and supported me throughout my time at the club; my wife and family, the supporters, staff and players who I will always hold in high regard.

"I would also like to say thank you to the chairman, Martin Allen, Jeremy Steele, James Thorne, Henry Newman and Dan Leivers who I had the pleasure of working with over the past nine years and contributed to the development of myself and the players at this football club in so many ways.”

He added: “I will cherish the memories and the football club always being close to my heart. I wish everybody connected to Barnet Football Club all the best for the future.”