IAIN O’Connell says he is confident of a better performance in the Isthmian North next season after bolstering his Great Wakering Rovers squad.

Rovers were promoted from the Essex Senior League as champions last term, earning an immediate return to the fourth tier of non-league football.

It came after they finished rock bottom in 2016/17, winning just six of their 46 games and conceding 121 goals.

O’Connell joined towards the end of that campaign and having signed Jamie Salmon, Jake Gordon and Louis Yuill, he is confident of an improved performance this time around.

“The phone has not stopped ringing,” said O’Connell, who took over in February 2017. “I have been talking to players and looking to resign players and add to the squad.

“I have managed to sign Jamie Salmon, Jake Gordon and Lewis Yuill, which I am really pleased with.

“They are all players who are experienced at this level and they will fit well into the group.

“I have my eye on three more players, all of whom I am confident of signing, and we will hopefully have some good news regarding that shortly.

“The last couple of weeks tend to get busy as players are released from a higher level then. I often act late so we may do more business.”

The only player who is heading out of Burroughs Park at this time is striker Neil Richmond, who took his tally of goals for the club to more than 100 last term.

But O’Connell is confident his team will be able to cope without their talismanic striker and is looking forward to the start of pre-season at the end of the month.

“We are coming back to training on June 26 as we play Southend United on July 7,” he said.

“[Southend manager] Chris Powell rang me and asked if we wanted to do it and I was overjoyed. The game was one we used to play regularly but then it stopped for a while and I don’t really know why.

“I am so pleased to have them back over.”