Dover Athletic boss Jake Leberl says talisman George Nikaj has developed into even better player over close season

Jake Leberl thinks Dover talisman George Nikaj has developed into an even better player over the close season.

The Academy product led the way in their promotion-winning campaign with 25 goals last term and the 22-year-old has already found the net four times in five matches on this season’s National League South return, including the second in last Saturday’s 2-0 home win over Salisbury.

“We’ve given him the confidence,” said Dover boss Leberl, who again started Nikaj at Torquay, as midfielder Alfie Matthews’ double - the second of which came from a penalty Nikaj won - proved in vain on Bank Holiday Monday.

“Obviously, we had a really good year together last year. He has learnt and grown over the summer.

“He’s developing - as a boy and as a player - on the mentality side. He understands it’s a team game and he has to do his defensive roles, which he does.

“He’s always going to score goals.

"I’m really pleased for him.”

While Whites’ three-game winning run came to an end at Torquay, they pushed Paul Wotton’s much-fancied Gulls all the way and were only denied a well-earned point by substitute Matt Jay’s 89th-minute goal.

Leberl is pleased the togetherness in Dover’s squad seems to have stayed despite making several summer additions.

He said: “Even with the new boys coming in, there’s a lot of togetherness.

"We are all here because we want to do well.

“In those moments where it’s tough, we’re not going to throw the towel in. We’re going to dig in as we need to do to stop the ball going into the back of the net.

“It’s nice to see the newer boys getting some minutes.

“They’re really starting to feel part of it.

"We have got a really good squad so so far, so good, and I think we want to grow.

“We want to get better, we want