Kevin Lokko rejected rival National League clubs to sign for Maidstone.

The defender joined United on a one-year deal from Welling after meeting Jay Saunders on Wednesday.

A disappointing season for the Wings ended in relegation but Lokko, 20, was still in demand.

He said: “I had quite a few offers in the National League.

“I’ve done my research on Maidstone. Three promotions in four years shows what Jay has done here.

“He’s a manager I’d love to work under, a good guy and a good character who knows his football. It was a no-brainer to come here."

Lokko was an apprentice at Norwich before joining Colchester, where he was third-choice centre-half until a hip injury led to his release.

He dropped into the National League with Welling, the highlight being a 2-1 victory at former Championship club Tranmere, a fixture United can look forward to.

Lokko said: “It’s a great league, competitive and anybody can beat anybody. We showed that at Welling when we won in front of thousands of fans at Tranmere."