Folkestone Invicta boss Andy Drury reunites with former Ebbsfleet United team-mate Dean Rance at Cheriton Road

A former Gillingham, Ebbsfleet, Dover and Maidstone midfielder has joined Folkestone.

Dean Rance, 32, has signed for Isthmian Premier Invicta on an initial one-month loan from National League North Scunthorpe and will link-up with former Fleet team-mate Andy Drury, now in charge of Folkestone.

Improving Invicta revealed the signing of the Maidstone-born man after Tuesday’s scheduled home match against fellow relegation-threatened outfit Cray Wanderers had been postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Rance won National League South promotion alongside Drury at Ebbsfleet in 2017, as the pair played together from 2016 until 2019.

Rance, who started at Gillingham, initially signed for Scunthorpe last March.

He previously had two loan spells at Maidstone and earned a permanent deal with Dover for the 2012/13 season after a loan stint.

He joins an Invicta squad which have collected seven points from three matches so far in 2024 ahead of this Saturday’s trip to third-bottom Haringey.