Maidstone fans got their first look at new signing Ollie Muldoon at the weekend.

The former Gills and Charlton midfielder made his debut as a late substitute in United's 1-0 win at Barrow.

Interest from the Football League and Scottish Premiership saw Muldoon turn down a summer switch to the Gallagher.

But he was still available a couple of months down the line and this time Maidstone got their man.

Muldoon, 23, said: "I came over in the summer and tried to get something done.

“It didn’t happen then but, happily, it’s happened now and I can kick on and help the team.

“At the start of pre-season I had other options but they fizzled out because there was something else in the pipeline, but that fell through as well, so I’m starting again.”

Muldoon believes the pre-season stint with Maidstone will help him hit the ground running as he looks to earn a place in central midfield.

He said: “The boys are on a good run. I know quite a few of them already so I think I’ll settle in straight away.

“The main thing is to settle in quickly and it helps having been here in pre-season.

“Centre-midfield is my position. I’m a box-to-box player, I try to create a few things and chip in with a few goals.

“When I was at Charlton they liked me to play in the holding role, so I can do that as well, but I do like to be in the action and try to get involved as much as I can.”

Muldoon grew up at Charlton but was released in January, with Gillingham stepping in.

The midfielder, who can also fill in at right-back, played four times as Gills survived relegation on the final day of the League 1 season.

It was a tough spell for Muldoon, whose final appearance came against Peterborough at the end of March.

He said: “I finished last season at Gillingham but they didn’t renew my contract so I have to start again, go again and see what happens.

“I didn’t play as much as I’d have liked.

“I signed in February but there were quite a few midfielders and it was difficult trying to break into the team playing out of position and it didn’t really let me kick on. It wasn’t the best.

“The results were difficult - we were in a bit of a rut at the end of the season.

“We stayed up on the last game, the boys dug deep and did what they needed to do.

“It was never set in stone that I was going to get a new contract.

“I was there until the end of the season and they said if we stay up we’ll negotiate again but it never happened. That’s football.”

Muldoon had a loan spell at Braintree last season, so he knows what the National League is about.

He said: “It’s not too different but the football is going to be slower and the ball might be up in the air a bit more but the main thing is the competitiveness is still there.”