Canterbury player-coach Jen Wilson has backed her side to make up for the loss of top-scorer Nikki Kidd and improve on their historic success of last season.

In her first season at the helm, Wilson led the city club to first place in the Investec National Premier Division, the final of the Championship play-offs and a place in Europe in 2015.

In her first season at Polo Farm, Great Britain and Scotland striker Kidd was instrumental in their success, top-scoring with 12 league goals and netting more than a third of the goals the club scored in all competitions.

However the 27-year-old has since been removed from the GB performance programme and has opted to switch to Germany where he boyfriend is based.

Wilson said: “She’s devastated as she was committed to us until 2016 but it came as a shock and surprise to her, and most people, that she’s been taken out of the GB squad.”

Youngster Gen Masters is also missing after being offered a scholarship in America, however GB international midfielder Susie Townsend has returned and South African international Dirkie Chamberlain is a new arrival.

Wilson said: “Of course we were disappointed when Susie left, she felt she needed to make the change but with a couple of months she realised that she really missed Canterbury and wanted to come back, and of course, a player of her calibre, we welcome her back.

“Dirkie is an international and Olympian with a great goalscoring record, she is a strong tough player and a fantastic addition.

“Kiddo was one of the key goalscorers last year but we have Mel Clewlow and Grace Balsdon for short corner options, Dirkie, Townsend and our youngsters have been showing over the summer they have the ability to score goals.

“I don't think there’s going to be one out-and-out goalscorer, it will be a handful of players contributing each week.”

Wilson added: “It’s a new season, We ended up doing really well last season because we didn’t put high expectations on the ultimate outcome. We made sure we got it right each week against a different team. It was successful for us and we’ll follow that mantra again.

“We also have another focus as we want to build toward Europe. Each time we play we want to be stronger.”

Both Canterbury’s Premier Division hockey clubs begin their new campaign with a double-header at Beeston on Saturday, and both must wait several weeks for a home game as work continues on the pitch at Polo Farm.

The men push back at 4pm with the women to follow at 6pm, while the the green and white army and their supporters will be travelling up on a coach to Nottingham together.

Wilson added: “The start will be tough but you have to play everyone at some stage. It doesn’t matter who we are playing, we feel prepared and ready.”

Men’s striker Ben Allberry revealed: “This season it’s the top-four we’re aiming for. We want to hit teams hard and make sure we get to the finals.

“We want to break into that top group and become a force. We have the capability to win the whole thing. The only team who can stop us, is ourselves.”