Ebbsfleet manager Dennis Kutrieb has insisted not every new signing will be as tall as the club’s first two summer recruits.

The Fleet have signed 6ft4in centre-back Jack Wakely and 6ft5in midfielder Ouss Cisse.

It’s clear that Ebbsfleet are stepping up a level in terms of physicality as they compete in the National League this season.

But Kutrieb, who insisted that he’s only replacing the height that was lost in his squad at the end of last season, was keen to stress that both players should fit into the club’s style of play.

“For certain positions you need to make sure you have the right size,” said the Fleet boss.

“Obviously, we lost size with Christian N’Guessan, Alex Finney and Sido Jombati, so we needed to replace them anyway.

“Especially the way we play, we need to make sure that we’re able to defend long balls so from this point of view it was clear that we need some size. The first two signings are very big and tall but not everyone will be this tall.”

On the signing of centre-back Wakely from Wycombe on a season-long loan, Kutrieb added: “For us it’s not just about the size, it’s about the quality to play as well.

“What we try to combine is someone who is able to head a ball and able to defend first and foremost but who’s able to have the technical ability to play football as well. From this point of view, it was a target for us to find the right players there.

“He offers everything that we need and now we need to get him going, make sure he gels with the rest of the team and gets ready and understands how we want to approach the game of football.”

Kutrieb also believes landing Cisse is a coup for the club. The former Gillingham midfielder joins from Eastleigh.

“He's an outstanding football player and will be a good fit for us,” said Kutrieb on 32-year-old Cisse. “He is able to play under pressure, he’s composed and good on the ball. He rarely loses the ball and will be a very good player for us.

“He’s someone that we saw early enough he could be a good fit for us. I don’t know if he’s right in this league, maybe because of his age he’s in this league for that reason.

“I think he’s way over an average National League player so that’s why I’m really happy because if you have so much quality, especially on the ball, but with his experience and everything together in the squad he will be a very interesting player for us.”