Football League championship medal winner Chris Whyte will be one of a number of new faces when Braintree Town kick-off their new Ryman League season.

Iron manager Richie Powling has also brought in former League goalkeeper Nicky Rust, plus strikers Ian Brown and Neil Docking.

And their first big test will be against Roy McFarland's full Cambridge United promotion winning squad in an attractive pre-season friendly at Cressing Road in a week.

Whyte, a vastly experienced former Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion and Charlton defender who won his League winners medal with Leeds United in 1991-92, is joining the Iron as manager Richie Powling's player-assistant manager.

Also holder of a Division Two winners medal, the former England Under 21 international will combine his coaching and assistant manager's role with that of player.

Whyte, 38, was last season playing for Nationwide Conference title chasers Rushden and Diamonds.

Arsenal trainee Rust was last season playing in goal for Third Division Brighton and Hove Albion, while quicksilver striker Brown, who joins Braintree from Cambridge City, enjoyed a spell at Bristol City following a £25,000 transfer from Chelmsford City.

He previously had a loan spell at Colchester United.

Docking, last season's leading scorer at Jewson League Soham Town, moves to the Iron following earlier spells at mid-Essex neighbours Chelmsford and Heybridge Swifts. And according to Powling there is plenty more to come.

He said: "I'm really looking forward to the new season. There have been a lot of changes already and a lot more things will be happening during the coming weeks."

Braintree kick off their pre-season programme at Mildenhall on Saturday, followed by the Cambridge match next Tuesday and a home game with Billericay the following Saturday.

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