Lovell brings leader Flanagan to Homelands

Flanagan began his career as a trainee with Gillingham before moving into non-league football with Dagenham & Redbridge.

The Essex resident joined St Leonards in 1997 before transferring at the beginning of the 2001-02 season to neighbouring Hastings United, where he stayed until the summer of 2003 before spending four seasons playing for Neil Cugley at Folkestone Invicta.

Flanagan joined Dartford in the summer of 2007 and helped the Princes Park outfit clinch two league championships.

“I’m very pleased that I’ve signed him,” Lovell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“He will bring a lot of experience to us and will help the younger boys in the team.”

Lovell is undecided whether Flanagan will wear the captain’s armband, having showed his leadership qualities at previous clubs.

“Well, that’s something that we’ll have to discuss in pre-season,” added Lovell.

“It all depends on what other players we bring in to be honest.  He’s a leader anyway, so that’s one of the qualities that his got, so whether he’ll be captain or not. It’s not even worth thinking about that yet.

“It’s just a matter for him to come in and play and get used to our style of play and fitting in with the squad and the team that we have.”

Flanagan’s arrival will spark more new faces at Homelands this summer as Lovell goes about improving his young squad.

Lovell added: “We’re hoping to sign at least another three or four, maybe five, in pre-season and bolster the squad and that will make us a lot stronger in numbers than we were last year.”

When asked about Flanagan's contract, Lovell replied, “The deal was done by the chairman when I was away last week, until I speak to the chairman tonight I don’t know what the situation is."

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