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Teenage midfielder George Wilkinson wants a swift National League return with Dover.
Wilkinson last season made his National League debut amid Whites’ terrible campaign which ended in relegation.
But the 18-year-old, who suffered with an unusual neck problem after making his league bow for Dover, wants to head straight back to the top tier of English non-league football.
With Whites on a five-game unbeaten league run, they are just outside the play-offs and Wilkinson said: “That's what we are aiming for.
“We want to be in the play-offs at the end of the season. We want to go back up, I want to go back up to the National League, definitely.”
A 2-1 loss at Wealdstone in January saw Wilkinson make his league debut, netting a stunning volley two months later in an extraordinary 6-5 loss at big-spending Wrexham, while he went on trial with Stoke in March too.
On the difference between National League football and National League South action, Wilkinson explained: “Last season, they just bopped the ball around a lot more.
“I remember just chasing shadows. After my debut against Wealdstone, my neck hurt after the game - from constantly checking my shoulder!
“The players had so much movement and I guess fitness levels [are different]. I think we are one of the fittest teams in the league this season and that’s paying off.”
Whites boss Andy Hessenthaler bloodied Academy products Luke Baptiste, Noah Carney and Harrison Byford alongside Wilkinson last term while Will Moses also featured having recovered from injury.
Wilkinson, who had already played first-team football at Margate, accepts coming into the senior set-up alongside Academy team-mates made the transition smoother.
He said: “Last season was daunting, rocking up to the likes of Notts County and all the other big boys with thousands of fans. But it has helped.
“Will Moses came through on his own, so I couldn’t imagine what it was like for him, but the fact I was coming on and I had Noah with me, I had Luke with me, it just makes it easier.
“You know you have got your mates to back you up if things aren’t going well.”
He praised the impact manager Hessenthaler has had on his career as well.
Wilkinson said: “He’s been so good. I remember when I first started that there was so much pressure and I was so nervous, but he just made me feel good.
“Even if I had a bad game - and I knew I had a bad game - he would always say ‘Well done young’un, keep going young’un’, just always motivating.
“He’s a very good motivator.”
Whites only won twice in the league last season but they already have five league victories this time around, having drawn 1-1 with Farnborough on Saturday through Alfie Pavey’s penalty, ahead of their home match against struggling Concord on Tuesday.
“The boys that were here last year - me, Luke, Godders [Jake Goodman], Noah and Byford - it felt weird [for us] when we first won,” Wilkinson said. “Now, we are five unbeaten!
“It felt surreal winning again, it just didn’t feel normal, normal last season was going into games as the underdogs and fighting for a point.”
Dover were perhaps slightly fortunate to get a point against Farnborough, however, with top scorer Pavey converting a penalty, soon after Wilkinson and Baptiste had come on while the visitors also missed a spot-kick of their own.
"I’m very happy,” he reflected on his own contribution in a second-half stint.
“Myself and Luke were told to come on by the gaffer, bring energy and change the game by working hard, winning the ball back and getting the ball moving again. We just didn’t start well and it just was a bad day at the office.
“We’ve been playing a lot better recently but, because we have had such a strong run, I think maybe we were a little bit complacent. But we’ll definitely be a lot better on Tuesday.”
First-team opportunities have been limited for Wilkinson this term though - having had a knee problem at the start of the season - but he’s prepared to be patient.
“It is difficult,” he admitted.
“I picked up an injury and the team has been winning and doing well, now five games unbeaten, but I want the team to do well.
“In a selfish way, yes, I want to be in the team, helping. But if the team is winning - or not losing - then I’ll be patient.”
And on his own ambitions this season, he added: “To get more minutes, coming back from injury.
“I want to start impacting the games more with goals, and assists, and helping the team to win.”
Wilkinson also praised young striker George Nikaj, now nicknamed “Zlatan Ibrahimovic” by team-mates, for what he's done during an impressive loan stint at Isthmian South East side Ashford which has seen him net seven goals.
He said: “I’ve been very impressed. He gets a lot of stick at training - we call him Zlatan!
"But he’s been scoring so regularly and doing so well.”
