Canvey Island soccer boss Jeff King has made his first summer move into the transfer market to capture the services of ex-Nationwide League player Ty Gooden.

The 30-year-old midfielder, on Arsenal's books as a trainee, announced earlier this month that persistent ankle trouble had forced him to end his ten-year league career which had encompased Swindon Town and Gillingham.

Sign-up - Ty Gooden puts pen to paper watched by Canvey secretary Frances Roche Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

Gooden played 146 league games for the Wiltshire club from 1993, scoring nine goals, before moving on to Kent in 2000 where he became a key member of Peter Taylor's promotion-winning side.

But he picked up an ankle injury in the final game of the season before last that kept him out for the entire 2002/03 campaign.

Both the player and Canvey are convinced that Gooden's injury will be able to withstand the less pressurised world of non-league football.

King has trailed the player, who was a schoolboy at Canvey's Furtherwick Park, throughout the summer and admitted to being delighted at finally capturing his services on Saturday, when the club returned for their first full training session.

"It's always been my ambition to get local talent playing for this club if and when it became available and was good enough. Ty fits the bill ideally. He's a Canvey boy through and through," said King.

"He'll have the extra incentive of being with his local club and certainly has tremendous ambition to succeed in the non-league game now."

For two players released by Southend United in the close-season, Stuart Thurgood and Damon Searle, continue to have trials at Park Lane and the club are also interested in another, as yet-un-named, former league man.

Published Monday, June 30, 2003

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