CANVEY Island hotshot John Sands says he will win the golden boot this year, despite playing with a double hernia.

The 27-year-old front man has been in lethal form at the start of the season, hitting nine goals in the Gulls opening 17 games, including an impressive volley in Saturday’s defeat to Dulwich Hamlet.

And he has been playing with a double hernia, after it was diagnosed in pre-season. But the striker says his only goal is to find the back of the net as many times as possible for Danny Heale’s side before he has surgery on the injury.

“I love scoring goals,” said the striker, who had a niggling groin problem at Bury. “I am happy to play because I love the game but I feel it after the game.

“I find I struggle quite a lot with my recovery but if I am playing well with this problem, I am confident of scoring more than anyone when I am back and fully fit.

“If I can’t have the operation until the end of the season and we made the play-offs I would have to put it off.”

Sands joined Canvey last October, having won the golden boot with Bury Town with 33 goals, and he said he wants to emulate that this term.

“I am always confident in front of goal and that is why I score goals. I had a bit of interest from Forest Green Rovers (of the Conference Premier) over the summer but I have a job to do for Canvey.

“All I can do is keep scoring. My contract is up at the end of the season and who knows what will happen then.”

The striker, who scored 13 in 22 appearances last season, says he believes Canvey would be in the top three had it not be for errors.

“We are close to being a very good team. We are playing well but can still improve and I am confident once we hit top gear we will be flying.

“Danny Heale has done a great job since I’ve been here,” added Sands. “He is growing as a manager every week and I hope he gets the luck he deserves in his career. He deserves to be a winner.”