Sean Shields has thanked Ebbsfleet fans for their support after signing a new deal for this season.

The winger is one of 15 players already on board for the Fleet's National League campaign following their victory in the play-offs.

Shields, who's been at the club for two-and-a-half years, has always been well-liked for his positive play and last season he maintained consistently high standards.

The 25-year-old lost his place during the run-in and play-offs and some feared he might be let go following promotion but there was never any danger of that.

"I was reasonably confident because I felt I had a very good season," said Shields when asked about his post-season meeting with Ebbsfleet manager Daryl McMahon.

"The gaffer, with me, has just been brilliant since I’ve been working under him. He’s never been shy to let me know when I’ve been doing well or telling me areas I can improve on. All season, he’s been full of praise for me.

"There was a time, towards the end of the season, when Cookie came in for me, I came out of the team for a little bit but the gaffer pulled me and said ‘you’ve got nothing to worry about, you’ve had a very good season and for this set of games, I think we need something a little bit different.’

"I definitely wouldn’t say I was worried going in but when a meeting like that does come up and it’s so important for your future, I guess there is sometimes a little doubt at the back of your head.

"But overall I was pretty confident that I’d be offered something.

"Since I signed in January 2015, the fans have been nothing but welcoming. I feel like they took to me straight away and from the outset, that gave me an enormous amount of confidence to go out, express myself, play my game and be entertaining. That’s the type of player I am.

"You saw the reaction when they found out I signed my new deal last week and it gives me confidence going into next season to go out again, have fun, continue to work hard and keep expressing myself on the pitch.

"I love entertaining the fans who, home and away, have been amazing for the two-and-a-half years I’ve been here."

Two years ago Shields spoke of his excitement at the prospect of playing for McMahon after the Irishman was appointed Fleet manager - and that relationship has grown stronger in the meantime.

Shields said: "I could sit here and say so many positives about all the coaching staff in so many different areas but talking just about the gaffer’s personality, that stands out more than anything.

"His man-management and player communication has been spot-on.

"I think it showed that when players who hadn’t played much towards the start of the season were needed towards the end of the season, they were ready to come in and do just as good a job as everyone else.

"He kept everyone hungry and feeling motivated. Whether you’re in the team or not, you feel such a massive part of it.

"There’s no amount of credit I could give him to say how well he’s handled that side of things."

Shields, initially a loan signing from Dagenham in 2014, has excited crowds and shown flashes of unique brilliance during his Fleet career but also suffered with illness and injuries.

He fell out of favour with former boss Jamie Day and was almost sold to Margate in 2016 so it was quite a moment when he got his hands on the play-off trophy at Stonebridge Road.

Shields said: "It’s hard to describe because I've had so many ups and downs and that was my first piece of silverware. I’m still a young man and it’s something I’ll never forget.

"All the hard work you do that people don’t see culminates in that moment and achieving it with that group of players, who I get on so well with away from football, it means so much to me.

"If the group did ever split up or people went their separate ways in the game, I could see these boys 10 or 20 years down the line and we’d fall seamlessly back into a room with each other because of what we achieved that season."

Shields himself is something of a throwback, an old-fashioned winger who simply wants to beat his man and stand up a decent ball from the byline.

He said: "I was talking to Sam Deering about it and he was saying that he doesn’t know many wingers like me any more. I play that wide, I’m almost chalk on the boots.

"I suppose, to an extent, it is a dying art because a lot of wingers look to come in all the time now. I still look to mix my game up and come in, get shots off and score goals but naturally I like to stay wide.

"Off the top of my head, I can’t think of too many wingers that play that wide any more.

"It’s something the manager thinks I’m good at. He thinks I bring something to the team from the way I play so I’m happy with that."

Shields played centrally during eight years in the Tottenham youth system but moved away from the No.10 role during a spell at Rushden & Diamonds before taking up permanent residence on the wing at St Albans City.

He said: "When I came to Ebbsfleet, the gaffer had me as a winger. He said ‘look, I haven’t worked with many better crossers of the ball so your job is to get as many crosses in during the game as you can.’

"I’ve looked to do that more and I’ve set myself a target to get a minimum of 10 crosses in.

"I’m always looking to improve, as anyone who works with me would tell you. I don’t think there’s ever a limit to how much you can improve or learn. I’m just looking to get better and better each season."

Read more from Sean Shields in Thursday's Gravesend Messenger.