Ryan Hayes would like to go into management as early as next summer.

Dartford’s longest-serving player is signed up for a 13th season in white and black and believes he can keep playing for several years.

Hayes even has one eye on the club’s all-time appearance record but, with his 32nd birthday just four weeks away, the winger knows he needs to plan for a future away from
the pitch.

He launches the RH7 Soccer School at Princes Park tonight (Thursday) and accepts this may be his last season as a Dartford player.

Hayes said: "I’m coming to the end of my playing career and want to go into managing when I finish.

"At the end of next season, if things did come up and the situation at Dartford changed, like if we go up this year, it would be a great time to look elsewhere, go out on a high.

"I’d be 33 and it would be difficult in the National League. There’s a lot of professional players in that league and the gap between the South and the National is massive.

"I could do a couple more seasons. This season was the fittest I’ve felt in years.

"I’ll see what comes up in the future. I love playing for Dartford but want to manage after I finish playing.

"If anything ever comes up in the future before I want to stop playing, I’ll have a think about it."

Contract talks with Tony Burman were as quick as ever when Hayes sat down with his manager at the end of last season.

He said: "I literally walked in, he said ‘do you want to stay?’ and that was it. We never talk about money, we just get it done.

"Last year, for team spirit, was probably better than the year we went up (2012) and hopefully we can carry it on.

"The two best teams have gone up and we did see ourselves as the third-best team in that league.

"If we add a couple of good players, I think we’ll be fine."

When Hayes next plays for Dartford, he will move above Burman to third in the club’s all-time appearance list with 536.

He said: "I look at the stats every season. I remember, at the start of last season, saying to the missus ‘I only need 10 more goals to get to 100.’

"When you finish playing, you do look back at what you’ve done and if you’re in the history books, it’s a good thing.

"I’d love to be the highest appearance holder for Dartford and I’d love to get near Elliot Bradbrook with the goals but I’d rather win the league and other trophies before personal accolades."

RH7 Soccer runs every Thursday on the Princes Park 3G from 5-6pm for children aged 4-16. The first session is free and coaching thereafter costs £25 per month. Email info@rh7soccer.co.uk.