Ebbsfleet United are set to take a big step towards full-time football by training three mornings a week next season.

The model, a stepping stone between part-time and fully professional status, is already used by the Fleet’s local rivals, Welling, in the Skrill Premier.

As things stand, manager Steve Brown has a maximum of two evening training sessions a week with his squad, who are hoping to join the Wings in the top tier of non-league football next season.

Ebbsfleet vice-chairman Peter Varney said: "We’ve talked about, in the immediate future, switching to three mornings a week, a semi-pro position.

"When you think what (full-time clubs) do on a Monday, warming down, and on a Friday, preparation, that’s not far away.

"That will depend on how the final squad shapes at the end of the season.

"We’re looking at that and we’re looking at the training ground being able to accommodate both the first-team and the youth team, because they’re going to be training four times a week, so we have to build that football side of the club up together.

“That will be a further step forward and the more time Steve gets with the players, the more he can put across his ideas."

Read the full story in the Gravesend Messenger.