Maidstone want to turn Simon Walton's one-month loan move into a permanent deal.

Stones boss Harry Wheeler returned to former club Billericay to sign Walton at the end of last week.

The ex-Leeds midfielder made his debut against Harrogate on Saturday and Wheeler is determined to keep him at the Gallagher.

Wheeler said: "You could see on the pitch, Simon does the right things in the right areas.

"He knows how to play the game, he's physical, puts his foot in, gets everyone else to put their foot in and that's something this team needs.

"It probably needs another two or three of them.

"We'd like to make it permanent, he'd like to make it permanent, so it's something we're on course to do."

Walton, 31, is equally keen to make a permanent move to Maidstone after being reunited with Wheeler, assistant manager Tristan Lewis and sports scientist Craig Lewis.

He said: "Obviously working with Harry and Tristan and Craig was the main pull for me.

"The club itself and the set-up is first-class.

"It's there for everybody to see and hopefully there'll be something at the end of it. It's just getting it over the line.

"Harry signed me before and he knew what I was about.

"He knew he had a sniff of coming in here and he said they needed my type of player to add a little bit of experience, a bit of nous and hopefully we'll see the benefits over the next few games and I can show my worth."