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Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley pleased to have progressed another striker after David Smith's move to National League Bromley

Folkestone manager Neil Cugley is happy to have helped another young striker into the full-time game.

Cugley has a reputation for moving strikers on in the game and wished David Smith all the best after his move into full-time football with National League Bromley.

David Smith is congratulated on a goal by former team-mate Ade Yusuff. Picture: Randolph File
David Smith is congratulated on a goal by former team-mate Ade Yusuff. Picture: Randolph File

Smith spent two seasons with Cugley’s side, scoring 41 goals in 72 appearances.

“Dave is a great lad and he has done brilliant for us,” said Cugley.

“I’m so proud that he has gone on to be a professional footballer, to train every day, and he deserves that. I am pleased.

“It is yet another one who has come to Folkestone that we have pushed on. Come to Folkestone and we will push you on.

“He is another one now and he deserves it but I am sure he will give it everything at Bromley and I am sure they have a good signing. We move on and I don’t mind that.”

Cugley was quick to add a new striker to his forward line and former Maidstone and Tonbridge striker Ibrahim Olutade was one of six new faces in the side against Gillingham at the weekend.

It’s been a different kind of summer for Cugley, with six players in and room for a couple more.

“I want to bring in eight,” said Cugley.

“I have brought in six, [I want] another forward and I need a versatile player, someone who can slot into different holes. They become important players, like Jordan Wright who, bless him - he broke his leg last year and he was perfect for that - could go left-back, right-back, left midfield, right.

“I just need someone like that who can slot into different places, that is important.

“I have had the same squad for ages. It hardly ever changed, but it has been different this year with people leaving but in some ways it needed freshening up [to make it] a bit more exciting, trying to get more out of different players and it is the first time I have had a big turnaround of players. It has been a big change but I think we will be stronger.

“There is a lot of competition for those places and it is going to be hard but I think we will be all right and once we get the forwards getting sharper we will be a handful.

“I think there will be 10 really good sides in the league and I want to make sure we are one of them.”

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