Maidstone manager Harry Wheeler says new signing Elliott Romain is the hardest-working striker in the National League.

Wheeler got his man after the Stones made several calls to Dagenham for their star forward.

Daggers boss Peter Taylor eventually allowed the move to happen and Romain scored two minutes into his debut as Maidstone beat Leyton Orient in the FA Cup last weekend.

Wheeler said: "Elliott’s a pest. He runs around and pressures and made his own goal. That's what Elliott does.

"There’s no point recruiting if you’re trying to install a certain attitude and demand and then recruit players who don’t do that.

"So we had to be careful in what we did and we brought the right one in.

"If I want something I don’t stop. I’m relentless.

"You can’t win them all but you’ll win as many as you can and in the end we won that one.

"Elliott's right up there. He has the best work rate in the league but we’ve got the two that work the best.

"Jake Cassidy’s work rate and Elliott Romain’s work rate are probably second to none in this league.

"Elliott's quality and his pace gives us the opposite to Jake’s quality and his hold-up play and his aerial ability and power."

Maidstone's reward for beating Orient is a home tie against League 2 strugglers Macclesfield in the first round.

It will be played over the weekend of November 9-12 but the Stones have more pressing matters in the National League first.

They're only three points clear of the relegation zone going into Saturday's home game against surprise package Solihull Moors.

That's followed by a Kent derby at Ebbsfleet on Tuesday night.

Solihull battled relegation last season but sit fifth under new boss, the former Blackburn and England goalkeeper Tim Flowers.

Wheeler knows Maidstone are improving but says it's too soon for him to judge his performance as manager.

He said: "Ask me in December. It’s early days.

"At the moment it's a settling job, a recruiting job, an installation job of morals, endeavour, strategy.

"We’re doing everything we can and the fans have got to rest assured we are doing everything we can to go and win.

"We can’t give any more at the moment but we’ll continue to try to."

Maidstone fans have taken to the new boss, regularly singing his name during the second half of the Orient win.

Wheeler said: "It’s nice but I’ve said every week, we’ve got to give them something to sing about.

"I’ve come here for years and always thought it’s a great place to be, great crowd, but you’ve got to give them something to sing about."