Winning promotion for a second time with Dover in the play-offs was something keeper Mitch Walker wasn’t going to miss out on.

Walker didn’t play from the end of November until the final league game of the Isthmian Premier season at Chichester.

But his presence makes such a positive impact on this Dover team that they were glad to have him back for the three biggest games of their season.

“It’s difficult to put into words because I think going up through the play-offs is the best way to get promoted,” said Walker.

“It’s exciting, it’s nerve-wracking, it’s everything that you want it to be. As soon as we won at Chichester, I knew deep down that this was our play-offs.

“The boys have been absolutely fantastic all year. We finished fifth, we went through a sticky patch after Christmas, but it’s always the teams that finish strong come the end of the season that are the ones that put in the work.

“I’m over the moon for everyone involved. The players, the chairman, Jake Leberl in his first full season as manager, all the volunteers down the club, all the fans that backed us.”

Walker wasn’t meant to be back from injury until the day of the play-off final, but he made sure he was ready before then.

“Unfortunately, this season hasn’t gone as well as planned, personally,” he added. “I missed way too many games just through a very niggly injury, which unfortunately had to be operated on.

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“As soon as I got it operated on, they told me 12 weeks. But 10 weeks was my focus because I wanted to get back for the play-offs.

“Thankfully, I got back. I worked my socks off in those 10 weeks to get back and make the last game of the season.

“The 12 weeks was pretty much Monday so I got back in a little bit sooner than was planned but that was always my vision.”

Walker, who is keen to stay at Dover next season, has enjoyed what has been an amazing first full season under the management of Jake Leberl.

“I remember mentioning in my first interview with the club that I had a funny feeling that something special could be done with this group,” added Walker.

“Jake’s been absolutely fantastic to work with and he was one of the main reasons, obviously, that I came back in the summer.

“The boys that I was with down at Whitehawk, after I explained to them what Jake was about, they jumped at the chance and it just goes to show that maybe we haven’t got the biggest squad, maybe on paper we haven’t got the best players, but one thing we have got, we’ve got the best group.

“We’ve got the best togetherness and the best team attitude and that’s what got us over the line.”