More new arrivals imminent at Hastings United

Elphick has already snapped up Haywards Heath winger Gil Carvalho and former Ipswich forward Kai Brown since the end of the last season, as well as securing the majority of his title-winning squad for another year.

Now United are set to unveil a new defensive addition over the weekend – a player Hastings fans may remember playing against them – while a loanee from a Football League club is another distinct possibility over the coming week or so.

United will discover their full itinerary for their first season back at step three of the non-league next Thursday, when all Isthmian League fixtures are published.

Two days later comes their first friendly away to East Grinstead, a first chance for fans to see the likes of Carvalho, Brown and any other new faces in the club’s colours.

Elphick said the squad had already had a couple of training sessions and these had gone very well."The players have come back fit and we’ve started working them fairly hard. You always hope they’ll keep themselves in shape but it’s still good when you see they have,” he said.

"I like pre-season to be quite physical – probably more so than Aggy (Chris Agutter) used to – so we’ve run them quite hard.

"They’ve all worked well and the new signings have integrated well.

"We can do three sessions a week until the friendlies start, which means six sessions ahead of the first game which I think is just right.”

Elphick remains delighted – if not surprised – that the majority of the 2021-22 squad have stayed at The Pilot Field.

Latest to sign a new deal is Ryan Worrall and Elphick said more ‘retained’ announcements would follow soon.

Worrall said: “When Gaz approached me asking to stay, to be back playing with the boys, the club and the fans was a no brainer in my eyes. I’m hoping we can continue the success going that we’ve had the last few years.” Elphick said: “Ryan’s a key character in the dressing room and on the pitch. At his best he can dictate the tempo of a game.”