Needham Market manager Richard Wilkins says new signing Dan Morphew will be a good fit at Bloomfields after the defender completed his switch from Dereham Town.

The former Haverhill Rovers defender has made the step up from the Isthmian North to join the Marketmen, ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

Morphew represents Wilkins’ first signing at the club since he took over from Mark Morsley, who has moved into a boardroom role, and could team up with his namesake, Keiran Morphew at the heart of Needham’s defence next season.

“We have had some good reports about Dan, he has done well at Ryman North level and won a number of awards at Dereham,” said former Bury Town and Leiston boss, Wilkins.

“He is a centre-half that can also play centre midfield, he is six-foot and he ticks a number of boxes, especially with Ian Miller departing.

“We needed another defender and at 25/26, he is a good age and very keen to test himself at a higher level.”

Wilkins added: “He is a good, intelligent lad. He did not play midweek games for Dereham last season as he was at university in Birmingham.

“I spoke to him five or six weeks ago when he was at university and we agreed everything there and I am delighted to have signed him for the club.”

Along with the two Morphews, Wilkins also has Sam Nunn who can play in the centre of the back four and the experienced manager thinks he is well equipped in that area.

However, he will be making more moves in the transfer market before the start of pre-season.

“There will be one or two coming up in the next week or two,” Wilkins revealed.

“It’s a funny time of pre-season at the moment though and if you go for players too early you can end up paying too much.

“We will use our experience and any player we bring in has got to be the right one at the right price.

“We want the team to be a better one than last season, not the same and we are looking for an attacking player who can play in wide areas and behind the striker and also a midfielder that can play as a ‘number eight’ or as a ‘number 10’.”