A FANS’ forum this week named Rob King as Canvey’s player-of-the-season at the midway point.

And it’s not hard to see why.

Except for last weekend, he has been an ever present in the league this year... and a regular match winner.

Playing at right midfield, he is leading scorer with 14 goals in all competitions, ten of which have come in the Ryman Premier.

Of course he does like a penalty.

He has been given nine opportunities from the spot this season, and taken every one of them.

But he missed through illness the Gulls’ last game with Hastings, so it fell to Craig Davidson to do the honours from 12 yards and seal a 1-0 win.

King said he was delighted with the result, but will not be giving up penalty duties without a fight.

He said: “He took it well. And if the manager said to me that Craig or someone else was going to start taking the penalties then I would accept that. Because you do it for the team. But basically ‘no’. I won’t be stepping aside on the penalties!”

Although he does not keep count, King reckons he has played about 170 Ryman games and has about 40 goals. That is about one in four from a player who describes himself as a box-to-box midfielder.

He started as a trainee with Colchester United, and singled out former U’s youth team manager and current first team assistant boss, Joe Dunne, as a major influence on his early career.

A short loan spell at Hereford United followed before he was released by Colchester and joined Heybridge Swifts in 2007.

King says he had a year left on his contract with Swifts when he was told he was surplus to requirements.

Swifts loss was certainly Canvey’s gain, as he joined John Batch’s side in September 2009.

And the 24-year-old says that in Batch, they have one of the best managers in the non league.

He said: “John is very loyal. If you give him 100 per cent you will get that ten times back.

“He’s not the sort of manager where if you have a bad game he says ‘that’s it’ and brings in five new players.

“And that is what you want from a manager, because it gives you that stability and the confidence to go out and play.”

King said the camaraderie at Canvey is the best he has experienced at any club.

He said practical jokes are the norm, and singled out striker Danny Heale as the main culprit.

He said: “Healsy has come up with look-a-like for everyone. He’s pinned them up above their pegs in the changing rooms.

“I’m Chesney Hawkes. Glen [Alzapiedi], the assistant manager is Louie Spence, which he absolutely hates.

“And there are others. James Russell is Scott Evil or the Shermanator.”

* Canvey against Hendon is the Echo’s featured game of the weekend. Kick-off at the Brockwell Stadium is at 3pm.