Dutchman applauds 'the love of the game' in his adopted country while trying to lead the Bees back to the Football League

Edgar Davids furrows his brow and locks his eyes directly on yours. It is as if the Dutchman, who talks as straight as he still plays, is making an assessment of character before deciding whether it is worth offering a response to the question.

It is fair to say Barnet's player-manager does not mince his words. Described by his goalkeeper Graham Stack as "quite a confrontational man", Davids's mantra appears a simple one – perform to your maximum or face the consequences.

"I'm just straightforward," he says. "The truth hurts and not everyone can deal with it. Every player is different but they are all entitled to the truth. It is up to them if they can handle it or not.

"It is what it is. That is life, you have to deal with things and it's up to you how you deal with things. That's what makes you mature or not. If you can get the best out of yourself that's all that matters. If you do that nobody is arguing."

There is, though, more to the 40-year-old than the "pitbull" caricature with which he is synonymous. It was Louis van Gaal who described Davids in such a way during his rampaging heyday but while he is certainly a formidable presence, behind a brooding exterior there exists a pensive side.

A man who has won the European Cup and played at Ajax, Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Internazionale but works for an English non-league side without pay – albeit sporadically according to some – is clearly an enigma. Davids speaks passionately about Barnet, the club he joined last season following spells with Tottenham and Crystal Palace, even if it may be a marriage of convenience.

The club grant Davids time to spend on other commitments, including his fashion line, while he develops his coaching and managerial skills and raises their profile. The fact that he will take his Skrill Conference Premier side to Grimsby on Saturday and Dartford next Tuesday reflects that this is not merely an egotistical exercise.

"I'm still looking, learning and developing myself," he says. "I'm learning every day, learning from other coaches until I think I'm ready.

"In management everything is different. If you look at successful coaches they always need time to kickstart something. Arrigo Sacchi, when he started the revolution at Milan, he was almost on the brink of being sacked but then he won and people started believing in the system, he had more time to breathe.

"There are immediate pressures from chairmen and chief executives but the external pressure from the media and the fans is even worse."

Davids was unable to prevent the Bees dropping out of the Football League last season but he appears enthusiastic about the club and their vision for the future. In March he turned around the team bus en route to an away fixture to pick up stranded fans whose vehicle had broken down on the motorway, and it is the English support and culture that he particularly associates with, having recently coached the Sunday league side Brixton United in south London.

"I think it is pure passion for some guys. I love it when it comes from the heart – when you see some amateur guys playing on the Saturday then again on the Sunday because they just love to play, I applaud that," he says.

"The thing that I like about English football the most is the atmosphere. You don't have it elsewhere in the world where so many leagues are professional. The passion, the love for the game."

Davids is not one for discussing his past glories, and there are plenty. Three scudetti with Juventus, three Eredivisie titles with Ajax as well as the Champions League, these achievements are from another time: "I'm proud that I have played for all the clubs that I've played for but I don't reflect, I don't dwell on the past. I'm a product of the past."

It is the future that Davids is focused on. He remains a fiercely competitive and arguably controversial individual but he has strong beliefs that have clout when considering his wealth of experience. He is relatively scathing of player development in England, insisting that the Football Association must do more to increase the number of technical youngsters coming through.

"There is no street soccer culture. I think that the FA has to do something about it. You guys have a park tradition, but first you have to go and find a park, you have to travel, and you have to have lots of mates. Think about that," he says.

"Also the thing here is that when you go to a club they are coaching that [technique] out of you. They have a different mentality and different vision of how they see their ideal player.

"The FA maybe need a 10 or 15-year plan to make the talents the best they can be. It's nice to have foreigners but not too many. Foreigners bring a lot to the game but if you have teams that are dominated by foreigners, I don't think that is good for the fans and English football. If you look at the last 10 years the English national team hasn't been significant.

"I am glad Gareth Bale has gone to Real Madrid and is doing well because that's a business card for British football. It's very important for a human being to travel and adapt – that is how you grow, when you adapt to a different culture. It means you are a big player.

"If you don't have passion then you won't give everything to succeed. It starts with the heart."