Boss Steve King has revealed just how highly he rates versatile young Deal defender Max Niblett.

Niblett will now be back with the Hoops’ Isthmian South East squad on a more regular basis this season, having completed his university studies.

He has featured sporadically for the last three campaigns due to those commitments, with King even paying his travel costs so he could turn up for matches on some occasions!

King said: “Everyone who knows me will know how much I rate Max. He’s been at university in Leeds.

“There’s been a couple of times where I’ve paid for him to come back on the train!

“He played a full season at 17. He then went off to university and I massively support that.

“I want them to take their football seriously - but I’m a teacher - so I want them to take their education seriously, as well.

“He can play right-back, left-back and in midfield. We might have a similar situation with Morgan Page.

“But Max is certainly around until Christmas and we’re really pleased to have him.”

Another who will be around for Deal’s 2025/26 season is James Tonkin as the club’s No.1.

Having racked up 225 appearances since his debut, he will return after a break away from the game because of work commitments as he replaces the departing Adam Molloy, who has rejoined Sheppey.

“I’ve known the boy since he was 11,” King noted. “He’s played more than 200 games for the club and made his debut at 18. He never really left.

“He’d changed his job and four days on, four days off, that didn’t work with him being a goalkeeper.

“He played a key part in our [2023/24] Vase run [to the quarter-final]. Adam did brilliantly but the stars sort of aligned with Adam’s travelling and Tonks’ work schedule.

“For all his experience, he’s still only 27. That’s young as a goalkeeper, they usually go until their mid-thirties, so he could have a few more years ahead of him.

“But he’s going to need a good pre-season where he’s not played for a few seasons. As much as Adam had his strengths, Tonks has his own strengths.

“Tactically, that will give us a chance to try a few more things in pre-season and that’s something we’re really looking forward to.”

The close season has also seen King become Deal’s director of football.

While King has officially been first-team boss for the past three years, he’s always taken a real interest in the club’s youth-team system.

On his additional role, he said: “It’s really a continuation of the work we have done over the last six or seven years.

“As the club gets bigger, we’re keen to expand our structure. As everyone knows, I’m massively involved in the whole club, whether that’s the first team, the under-23s or the under-16s. It made sense to tie that all together.

“But it doesn’t change too much in terms of my job.”

Deal will play their first pre-season friendly at Hythe on Tuesday evening.

They will finish their run of warm-up games at home to Isthmian North Witham Town on Saturday, August 2.

The Hoops had initially been due to take on Minster 1911 on that date.