Michael West wasn’t short of motivation on his return to Ebbsfleet on Tuesday night.

The midfielder, released by Fleet in the summer, scored a late goal to earn his new club Whitehawk a point with 10 men.

West captained the Hawks at Stonebridge Road, where it finished 1-1.

He said: "I wasn’t going to play because my hamstrings are in bits but I thought ‘it’s my old club so I’ve got to try’.

"When people in their team start giving it to me, I thought I had to prove a point. In the tunnel, they were trying to wind me up so I’m going to prove a point, aren’t I?

"I thought the fans would be nicer to me and that’s probably why I scored.

"They said ‘that’s why you’re not here any more’ so I think that spurred me on to score against them. It shows they shouldn’t have said that."

West enjoyed a productive loan spell at Whitehawk last season having found his opportunities at Fleet limited.

He said: "It’s just nice to be wanted. When you’re wanted, you’re going to play better.

"Every time I’ve been here (Ebbsfleet), I’ve done all right, it’s just that I didn’t get a chance last time.

"I knew I was going to score. Duncan Culley wanted to take it but I said no.

"The Ebbsfleet fans know I score free-kicks because I scored a fair few when I was here. I thought ‘why not?’

"It was a good result for us with 10 men against a team like Ebbsfleet with their money."