Kymani Thomas won’t forget his comeback from a broken leg after scoring an extraordinary goal on his Ashford debut.

Thomas struck from the halfway line in the final minute to complete the Nuts & Bolts’ 4-2 Velocity Cup win at Ramsgate last Wednesday.

It was a special moment for the 20-year-old forward, who’d been sidelined since suffering a double leg break playing for Herne Bay in a match against Horsham in February.

Thomas replaced Lanre Azeez in the 76th minute at Southwood and wasted no time making an impression.

“As soon as I knew I was in the squad, I was ready, I was happy, I couldn’t wait to get on the pitch,” said Thomas.

“I told everyone before the game I was going to score.

“I said, ‘I don’t know how but I’m going to score’ and it ended up being a goal like that from the halfway line.

“The ball’s gone into the striker and he’s set it down.

“I knew we were near the end of the game, so I’ve looked up and seen the keeper off his line.

“The way the ball bounced to me, I knew I could catch it right, so I just hit it and it went all the way in.

“I had so many thoughts in my head.

“I wasn’t going to celebrate and then I thought, ‘No, I have to celebrate’ and I went crazy.”

Thomas signed for Ashford after a spell training with the club while he stepped up his recovery.

Nuts & Bolts boss Kevin Watson was his manager at Herne Bay and the pair had stayed in touch.

“I’m all good now,” said Thomas. “People thought the journey back from the injury would be harder than it was.

“To me, it was quite easy to get through, I’m not going to lie.

“I was positive all the time and I had good people around me who made it easier.

“Kev spoke to me as soon as the injury happened and said he was there for me.

“I spoke to him all the time during my injury.

“He’d check up on me and it made sense going in with him at Ashford as he was my manager last year.

“I know him and he knows me, so it’s easier to get back in full form under him.

“I was training at Ashford but nobody knew. I was doing light sessions with the physio and then I started joining in actual sessions about two weeks before I played.

“I went back to the hospital for my last appointment and my surgeon gave me the all-clear to play.

“I ran out of the hospital smiling. I was so happy.

“When I got home, I started playing football in the garden straight away. I’d been waiting for that moment.”

Thomas made his Isthmian South East debut as a late substitute as Ashford lost 5-3 to Phoenix Sports on Saturday.

United led 3-2 after recovering from 1-0 and 2-1 down - Harvey Brand, Azeez and Mason Saunders-Henry the scorers - but conceded three times in the final 13 minutes.

It was a first league defeat for Watson’s men, who are in FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round action at Met Police this Saturday (3pm).

Thomas has high hopes for the campaign.

He said: “It was good to get some minutes in the league.

“That was a test, I now know how everything feels and my form should be getting back to normal.

“We’ve got a very good group here.

“We’re a close bunch and I feel this season we can do big things, especially with Kev as the manager and the players we’ve got on board. We’ll only get better.

“The last result wasn’t what we wanted but I don’t think another result like that will happen.”