CANVEY Island have signed former West Ham United goalkeeper Jake Larkins ahead of the new season.

The 21-year-old shot stopper joins from the newly branded National League South, formerly Conference South, side Bishop’s Stortford and will by the Gulls’ first-choice stopper in the Ryman Premier League next season.

Manager Danny Heale, inset, has acted quickly in the transfer market this time around, adding Larkins after failing to secure a goalkeeper until six weeks into last season by which point Canvey had already dropped a lot of points due to goalkeeping errors.

Larkins played one game at the Prospects Stadium last year, and kept a clean sheet (one of only six in 46 games last season) as Canvey avoided relegation from the division on the final day of the season.

“Jake has good pedigree,” said Heale. “He is only 21 and this is a bit of business we wanted to get done early.

“The last couple of seasons we have had young loan goalkeepers at the club and we haven’t been able to bed them in properly. But we have brought in Jake and I am confident he will be a very good addition for us.”

West Ham loanee Tim Brown made 33 appearances last term before returning to his parent club, but Heale says having a steady presence in between the posts could be a vital factor next season.

Larkins was previously a regular in the West Ham under-21 side and, appeared in the first team squad when he was 16-years-old, away at Blackburn Rovers.

He has also played for Grays Athletic before signing with Leyton Orient in June 2013, making his debut in the FA Cup 1st Round as Orient beat Southport 5-2 in November.

“We weren’t able to bring in Tim until after the start of last season and by that point we had already been through three goalkeepers and lost a lot of points,” he said.

“Jake is a good all-around goalkeeper and has good presence as well so I believe he will fit in well. He has already played for us so he knows a lot of the boys already.”

Heale admits he has his eye on a number of other targets ahead of the new season, with an announcement expected in the coming days in regard to new signings and retained players.