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Saidou Khan is determined to show his worth at Maidstone - a year after a Football League move collapsed.
Khan was on the verge of joining MK Dons but when caretaker boss Keith Millen missed out on the top job to Paul Tisdale, the deal fell through.
The box-to-box midfielder had even been given a date for his medical, only for Tisdale to pull the plug.
Khan, who's joined Maidstone from Tooting & Mitcham, said: "It was the season they got relegated from League 1.
"I went there on trial and enjoyed it a lot.
"I was in with the first team and I also played for the under-23s.
"I impressed the manager, the chairman was impressed and he said he wanted to sign me for the upcoming season.
"I thought it was a done deal and he picked a date for me to go in for the medical but then Keith Millen didn't get the job and the new gaffer brought in his own players.
"I don't think he saw me play, to be fair, but that's football.
"I was coming from non-league, he didn't know me and he wanted players from the Football League.
"They wanted to get back into League 1 and they achieved it.
"When a move falls through like that, you think was it meant to happen?
"You perform at your best when you enjoy your football so I just had to put it behind me and focus on what was ahead."
Khan, 23, was recommended to Maidstone by new first-team coach Ryan Gordon.
They work together at the University of East London and Gordon was keen to get him along to the Gallagher.
Khan was determined to take his chance to step up a level after missing out on the MK Dons transfer.
He said: "Tooting & Mitcham wanted to keep me but I needed another challenge.
"I'd been at that level for a while so I thought it was time to move up.
"I think this is the right club and full-time training can only turn you into a better player.
"Ryan said to me, 'I'm going to find you a new club for next season'.
"I was on holiday in Gambia and he phoned me saying, 'I've got a job at Maidstone, I'm going to try and being you in'.
"I didn't know if it was going to happen or not and then I came back to England and he was still saying he wanted me to come to Maidstone and train.
"At the time I wanted security so I went back to Tooting & Mitcham but I thought about it and decided if I stayed there it would be difficult for me to get a move because I turn 24 in December, so I need to play full-time.
"When I came here on trial I thought to myself, 'I'm not going there just to train for a week and go back to Tooting'.
"I had to do whatever it takes to get a contract.
"I had to put 100% into training, games, fitness, everything. I had to get signed.
"I didn't think I'd start straight away but I still have to perform.
"Every game you give 100%, otherwise you get dropped."
