Margate teenager Alfie Foster says he is happy to play wherever manager Nikki Bull wants him to if it helps him stay in the Blues first team.

The 19-year-old midfielder was given his first start as an emergency centre-half in Saturday's FA Trophy third qualifying round tie with East Thurrock United and walked away with the sponsors' man-of-the-match award.

Local boy Foster, who lives just five minutes from Hartsdown Park, is likely to figure again in the replay at Rookery Hill on Tuesday and the youngster says he is happy just to be in the starting line-up.

He explained: "I normally play centre mid, but I'll do whatever the gaffer (boss Bull) tells me. I played there (centre-half) in the youth team last year but it was something new for me. "It was difficult but I had Brett (Johnson) next to me and Tums (Aaron Tumwa) and the goalkeeper (new keeper Valerie Pajetat) talking to me for the 90 minutes. "I've been training with the lads since halfway through last season just getting to know everyone, it's been good. I've made that step from 18s up to first team and things seem to be going well."Foster admitted that with so many comings and goings at Hartsdown in the last week preparing for Saturday's tie at Hartsdown was difficult, but he felt the Blues grew into the game after falling behind early.He added: "The last week was manic but the mood at training is always good. No-one's got any problems with anyone else but obviously it's hard to adapt with new faces coming in and players that we are used to playing with leaving.

"We did train together but training is nothing like a game, I don't think anyone knew how we were going to perform but we all dug in deep and it was a good result for the club and the fans.

"They come and see us every week win, lose or draw and it was good to give them a performance.We were just unlucky that we could not get the win."

Foster, who is studying quantity surveying at Mid Kent College, added: "You always fear the worst when they score an early goal (Thurrock were ahead inside five minutes through a Sam Higgins penalty) but I think we reacted well, there are a few characters in the team who got us geed up and got us going again, and for the 85 minutes after that I thought we controlled the game."

Looking ahead to the replay Foster said: "I think Tuesday will be good, it's another chance for us to show what we're made of and get to know each other."

New defender Tariq Moore-Azille should be available for the replay having missed out on the first meeting.