Ebbsfleet captain Chris Solly insists the squad are excited by the challenge of playing National League football next season.

The Fleet will rub shoulders with non-league's biggest clubs and it's a prospect they are ready to embrace.

Wrexham may have moved up to League 2 but the likes of Southend, Oldham and Rochdale, plus either Chesterfield or Notts County, will be visiting Stonebridge Road.

"We’re going into the league excited by what we can achieve next season," said Solly.

"It's going to be a new challenge for us, we’re going to be playing against better players, better teams, but the way we’ve played this season it’s not something we’re going to fear.

"It’s almost like a League 3 now, I’ve heard quite a few people say that and it’s true. You look at the top end of that league, five or six of them are proper, proper clubs.

"You’ve seen the records Wrexham and Notts County have set - at least one of them has gone and hopefully Notts will be gone as well.

"The thought of going to these places now is exciting. The lads we’ve got in the dressing room are going to love that and look forward to it more than anything. I’m excited to go and play again at a higher level."

Manager Dennis Kutrieb will be keen to add players with EFL experience to his squad in the coming weeks.

It should add to a blend that worked perfectly in their National League South title-winning campaign, according to Solly.

"I think we’ve got a really good mix in the dressing room," he explained. "We’ve got a few experienced lads who have played at a higher level, know the game.

"Then we’ve got other lads at a great age, top players who haven’t played at the level they deserve to - the likes of Greg Cundle, Toby Edser, I think those boys are going to thrive off it next season.

"We’ll hope to improve again in the off-season like we did last summer, if we can bring in five or six players to improve the squad, I think we’ll have a right good go."

Solly is part of Kutrieb's coaching staff but he doesn't have a big role to play in transfers.

He'll still get asked his opinion on players, as he was last summer before the Fleet tied down a move for Luke O'Neill, but it's largely something out of his hands.

"It's more down to Dennis and Damian Irvine (chief executive)," explained Solly.

"But they know there’s a lot of players I’ve played with or against, and they might ask my opinion on certain players.

"There were a couple I knew of that the gaffer asked me about last summer. I knew Luke from when we were kids and we played together at England youth teams.

"I knew Josh Wright from Charlton as we grew up in the same youth team there. They turned out to be brilliant signings.

"The recruitment last season, when you look at the players we brought in, was brilliant. The likes of Mark Cousins, Wrighty, Luke, Haydn Hollis, just experienced players and then Toby Edser came in and has been brilliant."

Solly was one of three Ebbsfleet players named in the National League South team of the season. Top scorer Dominic Poleon and midfielder Christian N’Guessan were also selected in the XI, with Poleon named player-of-the-year. Fleet boss Kutrieb was named manager-of-the-year.