Danny Kedwell says playing as a lone striker is getting the best out of him as he continues to spearhead Ebbsfleet’s promotion push.

The 34-year-old signed a new contract in the summer but admitted he expected to be rotated by manager Daryl McMahon to keep him fresh.

However, Kedwell has started more league games than any of his outfield team-mates and is second in the race for the National League golden boot with 11 goals already.

Kedwell has scored in each of his last five games and has led the Fleet attack superbly since the loss of Darren McQueen to a serious knee injury three months ago.

He said: "Goals give you confidence and I’m really enjoying my football at the minute. Maybe all those years I should have been playing up front on my own! It’s a good time in my career.

"I’m going into games confident that I’m going to score and I’ve got players around who are going to create chances. There’s quality behind me and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be scoring goals.

"I’ve had some great partners over the years here, Matty Godden and Darren McQueen. But Matty’s gone and Daz is injured so I’ve got to step up on my own.

"It changes your style of play. When I’ve got a strike partner, I’m a target man so I’m always looking for him but now I’ve got to hold the ball up more and change my game.

"The gaffer believes in me because he’s put me up front on my own and I’m scoring goals."

Kedwell continues to defy his critics – and he’s loving it.

He said: "There’s a lot of big clubs in this league and I’ve said to the gaffer it suits me more than it did in the lower league. It pushes me to do that bit extra.

"With my age, people say ‘he’s 34’ but I’m starting to prove people wrong. I’ve done it all my life.

"I’ve always had to prove people wrong. I don’t know why, you always get doubters but I always end up proving them wrong. That’s what I love, I thrive off it.

"I came into this season thinking I was going to be an impact player, coming on, because of my age but I’ve proved people wrong and I’m really enjoying it.

"We’re going into games with a lot of confidence now. The last five games at home show how well we’ve gelled as a team.

"We’re showing the fans and teams in our league what we’re about.

"We’re getting there and we’re going up the league slowly. We’ve just got to keep plugging away and, come the end of the season, see where we are."