Dover boss to add five to squad

Hayes played over 100 games for Arsenal

New Dover Athletic manager Martin Hayes says he is looking to add five new signings to the squad he has inherited.

Hayes told BBC Radio Kent: "The bulk of the squad here are good players, and did a good job last season. I'll still look to bring in around five more."

Hayes took the Dover role after new boss Ian Hendon's shock departure to become assistant manager at Gillingham.

He said: "I've missed six weeks when I would normally be arranging friendlies and earmarking players."

He continued: "I've spoken to a couple of players who have already made other arrangements.

I told the chairman he'd made the wrong decision in the first place

Martin Hayes

"They said 'If you'd called me a month ago'. Well, sadly I didn't know a month ago."

Hayes revealed that he was second choice for the Dover job when Hendon was originally offered the post last month, but chairman Jim Parmenter had said they were both great candidates.

After Hendon's move to Gillingham, Hayes got a call from Parmenter: "He said 'You can tell me to bleep off if you like.'

"I told him I thought he'd made the wrong decision to start with, but it wasn't a tough call for me to accept the job."

Hayes had a short spell as a player at Dover in 1995, and managed Bishop's Stortford for nearly 10 years before moving to Wingate and Finchley last season.

"I joined Stortford when the Blue Square South division began, and it's lovely to be back at the level I want to work at, with players I want to work with. I want to work in the Conference Premier, I hope that we can do that together," he said.