Dover Athletic manager Andy Hessenthaler estimates as many as 15 new signings could be required before the start of next season

Dover manager Andy Hessenthaler estimates as many as 15 new signings could be needed before the start of next season.

Whites are now preparing for life in National League South for the first time in nine campaigns.

Plenty of Dover academy players have been given first-team opportunities this term but Hessenthaler doesn’t expect many senior players from his squad to still be at Crabble by the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign.

“You would like to think there’ll be two or three - maybe more [who stay] - but that’s a job for myself now to sit down and go through and make a retained list,” Hessenthaler said.

“Obviously we’ve taken a few younger boys who are going to be here next year. We’ve got to go and bring in another 15 players, I would have thought.

“It’ll be down to myself and the staff to make sure we get the right players in. We’re not going to rush into it.

“But it comes around very quickly. It looks like pre-season training might start on June 27 which isn’t far away, is it? Then there will probably be an August 6 start for next season, maybe. So lots of work to do.

“I’ll be meeting the chairman [Jim Parmenter] this week, going through things and we’ll go from there.”

Dover lost 2-1 on Sunday at home to Weymouth, who have also been relegated, as Whites finished the season on one point, having started on minus 12.

But Hessenthaler is urging his troops not to let their struggles affect them long term.

He explained: “It’s been a tough year for everybody, I just said that to everyone in the bar [as he gave an end-of-season speech in the clubhouse].

“To only see your team win twice all season has got to be tough for everybody - it is for us and it is for the players. But what I did say to the players afterwards is - as