The phone has quietened down since Sheppey announced Danny Leonard would be staying at Holm Park.

It was no surprise winger Leonard was a wanted man after an impressive season for the Ites.

He scored nine goals and provided 14 assists, despite missing four months through injury, as Ernie Batten’s side challenged for an Isthmian South East play-off place.

Sheppey had an option on the 27-year-old who was keen for an announcement to be made on his future as early as possible.

“You know what it’s like, you get managers messaging you, kind of 24/7, or you get a new message every day from a different club,” said Leonard.

“I wanted it done so I could enjoy the summer.

“There was a year option on my contract but, to be fair to Ernie, he said are you happy, do you want to stay?

“I just said yes and it was done.

“It was important to get it done early.”

Leonard went off injured during the Ites’ FA Cup first-round tie against League 2 Walsall in November.

He’d been playing with a suspected hernia but a scan showed a tendon issue in his hip.

He’s able to manage the problem and was back to his best by the end of the season as Sheppey won five of their last six games to finish seventh.

It was Leonard’s second year back with the Ites following a spell at Dartford in National League South.

He said: “My first season back wasn’t great personally and this season I set myself a target of double figures for goals and assists.

“I had the most assists and was one off for goals, and that was missing four months of the season.

“When I came back I was still kind of playing through the injury, so that was tough, but the last two or three months I got back to my best.

“I was a bit gutted the season ended and that was another reason I wanted to stay, to pick up where I left off.

“We thought I had a suspected hernia, that I could play through.

“I ended up having a scan which showed an impingement on the tendon in my hip which is something I’ve got to manage and live with.

“I had a conversation with a physio who works with the England team and he said it’s 24/7 management.

“It’s wearing compression shorts constantly, being in the ice bath after training, getting the right sleep, doing the right stretching and doing specific training.

“It seems to have worked.

“It was important to get that scan to prove what it was and I’m much better now.

“I know people tend to leave a hernia until the end of the season and then get it sorted.

“That’s the route I was going down, thinking that’s what it was.”

Leonard is tailor-made for Batten’s style of football.

The Ites boss loves to get his wingers into the game and that won’t change.

It’s the perfect system for Leonard to flourish.

Ernie’s team-talks have always been good,” said Leonard.

“He comes into the changing room and his message is clear.

“It’s get the ball out wide and once it goes out wide, he gives us freedom to do what we want with it.

“If it doesn’t work, we’ve got people like Richie Hamill to win the ball back and give it to us again.

“That’s the game plan and Ernie sticks with it.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but we finished strongly so it must be working.

“I’m not the trickiest winger. I get the ball and run and try and beat my man for pace, rather than a bit of skill or a stepover.

“We’ve got James Bessey on the other side, who’s a trickier player, so we complement each other well.”

Sheppey have been in play-off contention in their first two seasons as an Isthmian League club.

The plan is to challenge again.

Leonard said: “If we keep everyone fit, that’s got to be the target.

“With the players we’ve got and we’ve got a few to come in, we won’t be far off.

“It’s keeping that consistency. Rather than big patches of wins and losses, can we go unbeaten for a sustained period?

“It’s going to be a good league again.

“I’m glad we don’t have to play Cray Valley and Chichester (champions and play-off winners) but then you’ve got Margate coming down, Ashford will be strong and Sittingbourne will be strong again.

"It’s going to be tough but there’s quite a few new teams, which will be nice.”