Ebbsfleet manager Jamie Day had to act quickly when he knew Gillingham striker Danny Kedwell was available.

Kedwell joined Fleet on an 18-month deal this week after being told his game time would be limited if he stayed with the Gills for the rest of the season.

He was linked with a move to the PHB Stadium in December but Day, a good friend of Kedwell's, felt the striker would stay and fight for his place at Priestfield.

But when it became clear that Kedwell could be on his way, Ebbsfleet made their move.

Day said: "I couldn’t waste time. When someone of Keds’ quality becomes available and we’re trying to take the club where they want to go, you have to make signings.

"Keds has been in and out (of the Gills team) over the last month or so and he was a bit frustrated.

"Peter (Taylor) went, and Keds has got a lot of time for Hess (Andy Hessenthaler, part of Gillingham's four-man caretaker team) but he felt it was a good time to go in a different direction.

"We talked now and then. He wanted to try to crack it again at Gillingham so we left it at that. But if things didn’t change, and he wanted to go out and play, I’ve always been an admirer of his, so once I knew he was available, I did what I had to do to get it over the line."

"We’ve been mates a long time and we’re honest with each other. He knows where we want to take the club and he’s not dropping down because he’s not good enough (for League 1)."

Kedwell could make his Fleet debut at home to Forest Green in the FA Trophy on Saturday.

Day said: "People are going to expect him to come in and score every week but it’s not the case. He’s playing at a different level now and he’s not just going to come in and bag a load of goals. He needs time to adjust to the level he’s playing at.

"But I want to sort our home form out and hopefully a signing like this will lift people after the disappointment of the games we’ve had at home over a long period of time."