Tonbridge Angels manager Jay Saunders discusses signing midfielder Jordan Higgs and ex-Ebbsfleet defender Alex Finney, and keeping hold of Jamie Fielding

Boss Jay Saunders is optimistic new Tonbridge defender Alex Finney can leave his fitness problems behind him.

Finney worked with Saunders at Maidstone after moving to the Gallagher Stadium initially on loan before he made the switch a permanent one.

The 26-year-old has been hampered by injury in recent seasons and only made nine starts and two substitute appearances during the 2022/23 campaign as Ebbsfleet stormed to the National League South title.

But Saunders said: “He’s so passionate, he trains how he plays.

“The last couple of years, he has been a bit hit-and-miss with injury. But he’s over that now.

“If we can get him playing to his full potential, we have one of the best centre-halves in the league.

“It’s an area we needed to fill with Sonny Miles leaving so, to get someone of that calibre in, that’s very good news.

“He has just had a hamstring problem the last couple of years.

“He was fit for a lot of games last year but, unfortunately, he was in a squad that kept winning.

“You just need to look at Jack Paxman. He hardly featured and he’d been their player-of-the-season [two years ago].

“Going part-time will help Alex, it will give him the recovery he needs.”

Another joining is midfielder Jordan Higgs from league rivals Dover - having netted a fine goal at Crabble last August for the hosts in a 2-1 Angels win before also featuring in a 4-0 home triumph at Longmead.

Saunders said: “When I left Maidstone, I went and worked at Bromley with [then-manager] Neil Smith for a bit.

“I worked with him there and he impressed me last year when we came up against them.

“He scored a cracking goal at Dover. Even at our ground, he stood out, even though we won comfortably. He offers something different.

“Those you earmark, when