Irish international Jack Connors is confident he can handle the physical side of non-league football with Ebbsfleet.

Left-back Connors joined the club this week after five years in the Football League with Dagenham & Redbridge.

The 21-year-old made 56 first-team appearances for the Daggers and has won 14 under-21 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

Connors said: "League 2 is 100mph, physical, not much football played, whereas when you go away on international duty you’re playing with and against better players.

"The tempo’s a lot slower, you get more time on the ball, the ball’s passed around a lot more and it’s a lot more technical.

"I always felt, when I went away with Ireland, that no matter what nation we played, the games were quite comfortable. But when you play in League 2 you’ve got no time on the ball.

"It’s a bit more difficult but it’s not something I shy away from. I wouldn’t say I’m the biggest, but I’m quite strong for my size and I like to put myself about.

"I hope I can bring a footballing side as well, get forward, get assists, keep the ball, look comfortable on it and get the team playing."

Irish links played a role in Connors choosing Ebbsfleet when Dagenham released him at the end of last season.

He said: "I know Daryl McMahon from my time at Dagenham. When I was a first-year pro, he was a coach for the under-14s or under-15s.

"He messaged me to see if I had any plans for next season and I said I hadn’t got anything concrete so he said he’d like me to come down and sign for Ebbsfleet.

"I know Sean Shields as well from his time at Dagenham. He’s always spoken highly of the club and hopefully we can create a good partnership together on the left."

Shields agreed a new deal this week, following in the footsteps of fellow midfielders Sam Deering, Dean Rance and Jordan Parkes.