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Captain Lee Martin has set his sights on double figures at Ebbsfleet this season.
A creator of goals throughout his career, Martin is enjoying a new lease of life in Fleet’s European-style of play.
Now he wants to add goals as well as assists, and feels the attacking role just off the main forward is ideally suited to his game.
He scored four times in 17 starts during the curtailed 2020/21 campaign for Ebbsfleet but got off the mark at the first time of asking in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Hemel Hempstead in National League South.
“Last year I scored more in pre-season, my aim this year was not to use them all up so hopefully that’s one of many,” said Martin.
“The team will create chances, it’s just about taking them. I got four leading into it (last year) and then I had a barren spell, I think the team dried up as well.
“I had too much pressure on me to create and I felt that at times. Maybe we didn’t have the quality that we have now. It’s easier when you’ve got other players laying it on and you can get the tap-in.
“It’s something that I’ve worked on in my game in the latter stages of my career as it was always assists, assists, assists, now it’s trying to get goals - and get to double figures.”
The sight of Martin marauding down the wing will be familiar to fans of Gillingham, Ipswich, Millwall and Exeter.
But the 34-year-old’s switch to Stonebridge Road has coincided with a change of role. It’s almost back to where he started as a youngster at Old Trafford for Manchester United.
While it may take some imagination to liken Ebbsfleet to the south of France or Spain, Martin is enjoying his taste of European football under German boss Dennis Kutrieb.
“I had it at United, I finished my last game there (centrally) and then I went to Ipswich and never really played there,” explained Martin, who played one Premier League game for Manchester United at Hull in May 2009 before moving to Ipswich.
“I was always fighting to get back into that position. You never saw this sort of style of football at that level, it was always back and through, long balls, second balls, and I got ate up at that level.
“I was probably better suited to a continental style. I’m loving it at the minute, I’m playing in pockets where I don’t have anyone around me and can move the ball quickly.
“In my younger days I was out wide but I haven’t quite got that pace now! I started as a centre-mid when I was 15 or 16 but the trouble is when you had a bit of pace back then, it was 4-4-2, and you got shifted out wide.
“In today’s football maybe I’d be better suited to playing as part of a three in the middle. I like to think of myself as a smarter footballer as opposed to just a runner. I could do both when I was younger – but maybe not run quite as much now!
“I said that to my wife the other day that I’ve got loads of great memories and great experiences, I played really high up and couldn’t have wished for anything more. But if never had a manager like this back then.
“I had Ian Holloway but that was at Millwall and you couldn’t play this sort of football there, you’d have been booed off. This gets the best out of me, I enjoy working with Dennis and for me in the latter stages of my career it’s something I can really enjoy, dictating play and manipulating the football as opposed to running channels and chasing balls. This is what I like to do.”
Martin also admires the Fleet boss for sticking to his guns. Results and performances never really arrived in Kutrieb’s first season in English football.
But 12 months on he has a greater knowledge of the level, and Fleet head to Chelmsford in National League South on Monday with two wins from their first two matches.
“We’re playing the way that I like,” added Martin. “The gaffer has got it down to a tee and that’s the art of being a good manager. You can’t be inbetween, you can mix it up but your fundamentals have to stay the same.
“Credit to the gaffer, he stuck to his guns regardless of results – especially last year when there were sticky periods – and he’s recruited really well.
“He’s a traditional European manager who plays the right way, it’s something that I love. I missed out on it during my career, maybe I played for teams who played too many long balls and didn’t play to my strengths.
“I’m loving it and enjoying it and the players are blossoming. It’s easy to play in. Good footballers see space and awareness, you see Craig Tanner, since he’s come in he has been a joy to work with.
“He takes that load off me sometimes as he looks to get in those little pockets, he naturally drifts into them and then I can make runs off the ball. You’ve seen a different dimension this year, one that looks at the minute very fluid and we’ll be hard to beat when we play like that.”
