Ebbsfleet's new signing Dave Winfield has arrived at the club with a passion for one thing - defending.

At a time when more and more centre-halves try to play out from the back, Winfield prefers to keep it simple.

You certainly won't catch the 28-year-old operating as a libero in National League South.

Winfield said: "First and foremost, it’s about keeping as many clean sheets as possible. Whatever way you do that, you’re still classed as a defender. My personal view is you defend as best you can in whatever situation arises.

"For me, I’ll give the ball to people that create for the team. It’s not my job to go and create chances but it certainly is my job to nullify them at the other end. That’s what I’m passionate about.

"I’ve adapted my game over the years depending on what league I’ve played in but as far as defending goes, no matter what league you’re in, you’ve still got to defend the attacks.

"You see defenders that almost come across during some games that they enjoy attacking more than they do defending, which is fair enough but for me, you need to have that passion for defending.

"You need to want to organise, you need to want to do everything you can and put your body on the line to stop those goals.

"To block one off the line or stop a shot so the keeper doesn’t have to make a save is as good as scoring a goal for me and I genuinely believe that."

Winfield was part of the York City side which finished bottom of League 2 last season and he rejected the offer of a new contract by manager Jackie McNamara.

"It’s been a tough couple of years," he admitted. "We settled up in York as a family and thoroughly enjoyed the city and the county itself.

"But football-wise, it didn’t work out quite as I’d hoped.

"Initially signing at the club, they’d just come off the back of a very good play-off run, which was part of the appeal along with the pedigree of the manager that was Nigel Worthington.

"It all seemed to be pulling in the right direction but unfortunately it didn’t pan out like that and at some points of the season, I was almost surplus to requirements, whether that be through football politics or not being the manager’s kind of player.

"It’s just the way it goes sometime in football and it shows your character to drive through it and come out the other side, which I believe I have.

"I performed very well last year, was fortunate enough to pick up the awards at York but unfortunate enough to end the season in the position we did."

Read more from Dave Winfield in the Gravesend Messenger on Thursday.