Matt Godden leaves Ebbsfleet United to sign for Stevenage
Published: 13:00, 07 June 2016
Updated: 13:16, 07 June 2016
Matt Godden has left Ebbsfleet United to sign for Stevenage.
The 24-year-old striker scored 30 goals last season as Fleet finished runners-up in National League South before losing to Maidstone in the play-off final.
Godden, who spent five years with Scunthorpe United earlier in his career, is now set to play in League 2 next season. He was out of contract this summer.
He said: "This season has been one of many emotions.
"This summer has been a busy one for me and one full of difficult decisions.
"After a season of development and progression for me on a personal level I have come to the conclusion that I wish to play in the Football League and develop my skills even more.
"This choice hasn't been made lightly and I can't thank (manager) Daryl McMahon and (vice-chairman) Peter Varney enough for all their support and belief in me.
"Ebbsfleet will always feel like home to me and I will watch on as I see the success you are bound to achieve with the fantastic team you have both on and off the pitch.
"Thanks to the Ebbsfleet family and fans for all you have done for me."
Godden becomes the 13th player to leave the club so far this summer.
Stevenage manager Darren Sarll told the club's website: "What I like about Matt is that he is another one of them players who has tasted League football and for a variety of reasons ended up coming out and rehabilitating himself in the lower leagues and has done terrifically well.
"It is testament to the type of person I think he is to have put himself in a position where he has become quite sought-after.
"He scored 30 goals last year in competitive games and anyone that scores that amount of goals is of course going to be looked at, especially in the current trend of everyone trying to find the next Jamie Vardy.
"On a Sunday morning it is very easy to identify forwards in the lower leagues, you see their name repeatedly pop up in the paper every week.
"We had him watched five or six times last season and knew that when he was going to be available at the end of the season, that we wanted to put our pitch to him."
More by this author
Steve Tervet