Di Paola delighted as EP bring in five

Di Paola has kept together the majority of last season’s side – although influential captain Joe Shelley has dual-signed with Ryman League Lewes – and has already made five signings.

Striker George Gaskin has re-joined from local rivals Littlehampton and Lancing quartet Shaheen Sadough, Darren Boswell, Adam Hunt and Joel Harding have also signed for EP.

Fred Foreman has left EP to join Burgess Hill, Lawrence Edwards has gone to Shoreham and Craig Grantham has also left, but Di Paola is pleased with the signings he has made and said: “I think we’re pretty much done now unless someone special becomes available. By the time Jordan Clark and Alex Duncan get back from travelling at the end of September, we’ll have a good number signed on and a good squad and I think we’ll be there or thereabouts.

“We’ve added firepower to the squad, which we didn’t have last season. If we did, we might have turned a few of our draws into the odd win and might have won the league. We just didn’t punish teams and didn’t have a goalscorer, so we wanted to get everything done early, so everyone can bed in.”

On Shelley’s decision to sign for Lewes, Di Paola said: “He’s a marvellous player and he wants to go there and have a look. He deserves all he gets out of football and is one of a kind and we’re not going to find a replacement, although he’s signed on for us as well.”

On his new signings, Di Paola said: “I’m pleased to get George back as he’s a natural goalscorer. It shows a lot of bottle to come back as well as he was playing with his mates at Littlehampton.

“Shaz should be playing a much higher level and I think he’s a Ryman Premier player. We play football the way that will appeal to his mentality and I hope that we can get the best out of him.

“I’m really pleased to get Darren as he always get 15 to 20 goals a season. He’s an athlete, two-footed and has good quality.

“Hunty is another good signing. He has good technique, brilliant attitude, is a winner and he’s also good to have in the changing room.

“And I’m over the moon to get Joel as he’s just what we need.”