Paul Booth wants the chance to fire hometown club Maidstone to the league title.

The veteran striker is back at United after a successful month with Cray Wanderers.

He hit four goals in as many games for the Ryman League, Premier Division side before returning to the Gallagher Stadium last week.

The 36-year-old scored 18 goals in the first half of the season, mainly in partnership with captain Shaun Welford. But injury and the arrival of Stuart King limited his chances and with five strikers on the books at Stones, he jumped at the chance to get matches with Cray.

Booth (pictured), who remains Maidstone’s top scorer despite barely featuring this year, said: "I always wanted to come back because Maidstone are my hometown club and I want to be part of it if we get promotion.

"I went to Cray for fitness and I proved a point to myself that I could still score goals at the next level.

"I said to Jay (Saunders, manager) I’d only come back if I was going to play because I felt I wasn’t getting a chance before.

"What’s the point of me going out and getting match-fit and then coming back and sitting on the bench?

"Cray were good as gold. They wanted me to stay and Ian Jenkins (manager) wants me to sign for them next season.

"I enjoyed it at Cray and it’s done me a favour going there.

"I wanted 20 goals at the start of the season and I’ve done that now. I was a bit moany before I went out but I’ve come back a lot happier and just want to enjoy my football for Maidstone."

Read the full interview with Paul Booth in this week's Kent Messenger newspaper.