Barry Cogan is happy to bide his time and wait for a chance to shine in Dartford’s midfield this season.

The 30-year-old joined earlier this month following his release from Dover, where he spent four-and-a-half years.

Cogan is the highest-profile player Darts have signed this summer but with captain Elliot Bradbrook and player-of-the-year Lee Noble the first-choice pairing in central midfield, he may not get in the team straight away.

The Irishman said: "I knew that coming here, that the two main players for Dartford are the two lads in there.

"I can play anywhere across midfield and I’ve also played off the front man before so you can always mix it up.

"I’ll have to bide my time. If I’m not in straight away, I’m not in straight away. It’s a long season and anything can happen.

"It’s a squad thing. It’s going to be a tough league this season and everyone’s going to play their part. When I get in, I’ll just have to make it happen and hopefully keep my place."

Cogan has plenty of experience at this level, having gone up with Dover two years ago and that could prove a big help to Dartford’s emerging stars like Kaka Dembele and Ebou Adams.

He said: "I’d like to think I can speak to them and help them improve their game.

"There’s a lot of raw talent, some good young players and they just need a little bit of experience. They need to take the right option at times and that comes with games."

Read the full interview in the Dartford Messenger.