Former North Village forward Ralph Bean Jr has declared that it is time for the next generation of leaders to take over after he returned to his boyhood club as vice-president.

Bean assumed the role unopposed at the Village annual meeting last week, where he took over a post left vacant by Sheridan Smith. At the same gathering, president Shervin Dill, who has been at the helm since 2000, retained his post together with secretary Tache King.

Cathy Wilson, Nikita Trott, Michelle Romaine, Khadre Smith, Tina Cuoco and Andrea Talbot were named on the club’s board of directors.

The 44-year-old Bean, a winner of countless league and cup honours with Village, where he spent almost a decade as a player, views his return as an opportunity to contribute in a different capacity.

“I guess it’s time for my generation to occupy these positions,’’ Bean said.

“It’s just an opportunity to serve back at my home club. It was always part of the plan for me to go back to the club and serve in that capacity.

“I have served in administration at the club before when I was actually playing, but I haven’t been in the structures for a while.

“The vice-presidency is the position that was available this time around. I’m not looking too far down the road in terms of what the plan is and I don’t have any plan except to serve in the capacity that I’m in at this time.

“I know there’s a lot of work to be done and it’s definitely more about the club than it is about myself.

“It’s important that the younger generation gets involved and important that we have some sort of succession plan and sustainability in place.”

Bean joined Village in 2002 after finishing his studies at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. While his last full season was in 2012, he served as player-coach and then head coach.

While turning out for the Village Corona League side, Bean did play some cameo roles for the senior team until his subsequent retirement after Village’s 1-0 extra-time loss to PHC in the 2017 FA Cup final.

The former Bermuda striker has recently left his poition as head coach of X-Roads following their relegation from the Premier Division at the end of the 2023-24 season.

The Warriors last month announced that Farid El Karfa, who guided the Smith’s-based club to the First Division title in the 2016-2017 season, had been appointed to replace Bean.

“I won’t say the curtain’s closed on my coaching career,” Bean said. “I can’t do both for now and it’s not ideal to try and perform both roles.

“For now my role as vice-president of North Village is probably more important and I won’t be involved with X-Roads at this point.”