Dartford defender Josh Hill didn’t take long to decide he wanted to return to Princes Park.

The no-nonsense 32-year-old centre-half will play a key role in manager Ady Pennock’s new-look squad this season.

He’s back for a third spell at the club and knew he wanted to return as soon as he met up with Pennock during the summer.

“It’s a great club, I’ve loved my time here when I’ve been at Dartford before,” said Hill.

“I’m glad to be back, it’s a really professional outfit. When I got the call in the summer it was a no-brainer, really.

“I met up with Ady and we had a good conversation for an hour or so. I knew he was the sort of manager that I want to play for and that makes a big difference.

“That was the only thing I was looking for, really, to check that it was someone I could play for. I found that out pretty quickly.

“I spoke to a couple of people who worked with him before and as soon as you figure out what type of person he is then you know he’s the sort of guy I want to work for. Coming back to the club made sense to marry the two together.

“I already knew about the club, the fans and the people here so I’m glad to be back.”

Hill donned the captain’s armband in their opening pre-season friendly against Charlton. It’s a role he’ll carry on with throughout the campaign.

“I spoke to Ady in the summer about it,” confirmed Hill. “There’s not a lot of experience in the changing room but the fact I’ve been captain for a few years at the clubs I’ve been at, it makes sense.

“It’s a role I enjoy doing so when we spoke about it I was glad to take the armband. It gives me pride and it’s great to be captain of Dartford.”

The Darts find themselves in the Isthmian Premier for the first time in 15 years following last season’s relegation. It’s a shock for Hill but he’s determined to help them bounce back at the first opportunity.

“Obviously, I played against Dartford a couple of times last year,” he reflected. “It felt like what they tried to do was go back to the old school Dartford, but I think the game has changed now.

“The fact it didn’t work out is a shame as the club shouldn’t be at the level it’s at. But it’s a new squad now and hopefully the players that have come in are going to change the mood and change the culture, and we’ll have a more positive season this year.

“You only have to spend 10 minutes here to realise the club shouldn’t be at Step 3. The boys have been working hard for a few weeks now to get us on the journey to change that.

“It’s not going to happen in six weeks but hopefully in the next six or nine months it will come to fruition and we can be challenging.

“We want to bring the fans back and keep them happy with good football and good results as well.

“When I came back from a knee operation I spent five or six games at Step 3 when I was trying to get fit. It’s not a bad level, it’s not a huge jump.

“I’ve had most of my career at Step 1 and 2 but when you play for someone like Dartford it’s not like you forgo any of the professionalism, which is a big thing for me.”