Maidstone boss Jay Saunders is hoping to include striker Shaun Welford in his squad for Saturday's first pre-season friendly at Bearsted.

Saunders has been pursuing the forward, pictured, throughout the summer but negotiations over a fee for the former Dover and Ramsgate man dragged on for several weeks.

An undisclosed fee was agreed this week and Welford signed release papers from Ryman League, Premier Division Margate on Wednesday night. Stones secretary Darren Lovell is hopeful of completing the formalities in time for the 32-year-old to play at Honey Lane (3pm).

Welford joins former Margate team-mates Tommy Osborne, James Pinnock and Alex Waugh at the Stones.

Saunders said: "Hopefully everything is sorted now and he’ll be able to play at Bearsted.

"He was keen to come and I wanted a big man up front. They don’t come much better than Shaun."