Heybridge Swifts boss Cliff Akurang is delighted that Shamido Pedulu has signed on for the new season.

The midfielder has agreed to a new deal for the forthcoming Ryman League division one north season at Scraley Road.

However, Tyler Hayes and George Cocklin have left Heybridge.

Pedulu has had experience of promotion to the Ryman Premier with his former club Witham Town and his ten goals for Swifts last season were a valuable contribution to Heybridge finishing the season strongly.

And Pedulu was on target again on Monday night when he scored in Swifts’ 7-2 defeat against a Braintree Town XI.

Akurang said: “Shami Pedulu is a fans’ favourite and he’s put pen to paper, so we’re really pleased to have him on board.

“The players and fans who were here last season know what he’s all about.

“He’s electrically quick, scores goals, he’s an entertainer, has a bag of tricks in his locker and is a pleasure to work with.

“He enjoys his football, plays with a big smile on his face and engages with fans.

“He’s a role model for all of the younger players and it’s nice for us to have a star in the making.

“Whenever we play teams, we know that they’re going to be looking out for people like Shami and Billy Hunt.

“They have to take that pressure – last season they were the surprise package and this season, people will be aware of them and their talents and will be looking to stop them.”

Swifts have suffered some heavy defeats in their pre-season campaign with an 8-0 defeat by Colchester United added to Monday night’s defeat.

But Akurang said: “I don’t tend to blame my keepers when goals fly in; it’s more about what the outfield players are doing.

“All I want from my goalkeepers is to get as much experience as possible and enjoy what they’re doing.

“Most of the players here have come from a background where they had no confidence before – we need to build it back up.

“Strangely enough and I know we’ve conceded a few goals in pre-season, but I think we’ll be strong at the back this year.

“When you look at the fixtures we’ve had – Grays, Stansted, Colchester, Braintree and Chelmsford – we’ve only lost to the ones we should have lost to.

“You can’t be too disappointed to lose to a Conference Prem club or a League One side.

“It’s a learning curve for everyone but I’m happy that we’ve had a good enough exposure to strong players and how we cope against them.

“I’m seeing loads of positives and I think we’ll take that into