Departing Margate player-manager Ben Greenhalgh says Isthmian Premier team Dartford are only club he would have left for

Departing Margate player-boss Ben Greenhalgh has claimed Dartford are the only club he would have left for.

The attacking midfielder left the Isthmian South East side to take charge of Isthmian Premier Darts last week.

Greenhalgh had been at Gate for the last five years - and at the Hartsdown Park helm for the past two campaigns - helping the team reach the 2024/25 play-offs, where they lost at the semi-final stage at Burgess Hill, before a sixth-placed finish last time out.

But the 34-year-old has also made more than 50 Dartford appearances and has led the club’s academy for the past eight seasons so the chance to switch to Princes Park simply proved too good to turn down.

“I’m very gutted to be moving on,” he said.

“I’m not sure I have let people down but just knowing with those relationships I have built over the last five years, they’re not ending there but, obviously, are going to be changing. We’re not going to be seeing as much of each other so that was difficult.

“But the reality is I would have never left Margate for any other club. It was always, if Dartford approached and I knew I could give absolutely everything to Dartford, I had to make that move.

“I’m very excited to give it a go!”

Greenhalgh had committed for a third season as Margate’s player-manager last month before an abrupt change in plans since Ady Pennock left the Darts for Ramsgate and the vacancy opened up.

He explained: “Where I was at Margate - very focused on rebuilding and continuing with the momentum we finished last season with - we were in a brilliant position after getting 27 points out of 30, so we were looking forward to continuing that.

“Then, I received an approach from Dartford.

"Where I work there full-time, I went for the interview