Maidstone United joint-managers Lloyd Hume and Alan Walker have challenged Lloyd Blackman to convince them that he possesses the credentials to lead the team’s attack in the coming season.

The 24-year-old former Brentford YTS trainee, who later moved to Farnborough, Woking, Crawley, Welling and Folkestone, is having trials with Maidstone and makes his debut in Tuesday’s opening pre-season friendly at Great Wakering.

Former Welling manager Neil Smith has given Blackman a glowing endorsement to Hume, who admitted: “He’s impressed in training and is in pole position to become our new centre-forward, though that could change.

“We have a vacancy up front and he needs to impress consistently before we make a decision.”

Blackman is not the unnamed striker the club have been pursuing. That player is with a Football League club and now looks likely to stay put.

Hume and Walker are also assessing the form of Elliot Bradbrook who recently returned to his Bapchild home after completing a three-year sports scholarship in the United States. He can play in defence or midfield.

“We’ll take a squad of 22-23 players to Great Wakering and there will be a lot of chopping and changing during the game,” said Hume. “Not only do we want to take a good look at the trialists but we want to experiment with formations."

**Full story, see Friday's Kent Messenger