Fit-again Kane Rowland has been named the new club captain of Sittingbourne.

Rowland has recovered from a broken bone in his foot to lead the line when Bourne open the Isthmian South East season against new boys Lancing at Woodstock on Saturday (3pm).

And he’ll line up with the armband after manager Darren Blackburn selected his talisman striker as Bourne’s new skipper.

“His attitude’s been superb,” said Blackburn. “He reflects everything I want in a player.

“He shows loyalty and respect for his team-mates and the staff and the club.

“He’s got a lot of character traits that I see in myself and that’s probably why we get on so well.

“He’s travelled up for games and been around the training ground, even though he’s been injured.

“He’s just a phenomenal lad and a manager’s dream.

“I can’t praise him highly enough and I look forward to working with him long into the future.

“He had other offers in the summer, big-money moves, but he’s a loyal character and he’s loved and appreciated here.

“If he gets 25 goals this season, no one will be happier than me because it means he’ll be doing well and the team should be doing well if he’s hitting those numbers.”

With Joe Docherty, George Crimmen, James Hawkins and Michael Akin among his summer signings, Blackburn has further strengthened his squad ready for the big kick-off.

He’s excited by the captures of midfielders Toby Ajala and Ahmed Abdulla from Romford and Whitehawk respectively.

The pair are both 29, with Ajala’s former clubs including Bristol City and AFC Wimbledon, while Abdulla has played for the likes of Swindon, Dagenham and Barnet.

Blackburn said: “Toby’s an absolute bundle of energy - he plays like he’s got three lungs.

“He gets around the pitch, he breaks things up, he’s good on the ball and he’s got a good attitude.

“We’re really pleased to have him on board.

“Abs is another one who’s played at a really good level.

“He lives in north London but he’s used to travelling and he’s come in and looked really
good.”

Sittingbourne are waiting on international clearance for another new signing and have a couple of loan deals in the pipeline.

Lancing are largely an unknown quantity, following promotion from the Combined Counties League, but Sittingbourne will show them full respect as they bid to make a winning start.

“They’re a new side and they come from a different county, which makes it even more difficult to find out much,” said Blackburn.

“But I look at teams who could get promoted in this county, like Chatham and Sheppey, who are very good sides, and I’ll treat Lancing with the same respect.

“We’ll go into every game looking to do what we do well and hopefully there’ll be more positives than negatives.

“First and foremost, in true Sittingbourne fashion, we’ll try and be difficult to beat.

“That’s been the basis of our team in the last couple of years when we’ve had good runs and it’s important we stay firm on that.

“We’d love to be looking at the top half this time around and try and push on from that.

“Everyone is capable of beating each other in this league, so it’s hard to predict, but we’re focused on what we’re doing and trying to build confidence.”

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