Nikki Bull has unveiled his blueprint for the type of player he wants playing at Hartsdown Park next season.

Bull knows he needs an experienced core to be competitive in Vanarama National League South, but says his minimum requirement for the rest of the squad is that they are young, hungry and 'willing to run through a brick wall for the club.'

Bull says his first capture – 22-year-old Mike Fondop-Talom, who signed from Billericay on Monday – ticks all those boxes and he is optimistic of signing more players of similar ilk in the near future.

Bull explained: "Before people came here because it was the best offer on the table, but now I have to sign players who want to use Margate as a stepping stone.

"The good thing is that I've got agents contacting me simply on the basis of what we did with Fred (striker Freddie Ladapo who earned a move to Crystal Palace after impressing at Hartsdown).

"They know we give young players a chance and having players here that are hungry can only help us.

"We're probably looking to have four or five experienced players, the rest will be young, hungry, and willing to run through a brick wall for the club.

"We want to play football, we're not going to launch it like we did when I first came in. We did it then because we had to."

Bull admits his playing budget for 2016/17 is 70% less than it was at the start of last season but he says he has absolutely no truck with that.

He added: "You won't ever hear me moaning about my budget. I know what I've got and it's up to me to work within that."

Bull has already started drastically re-shaping his squad with no less than eight players leaving in the past week.

Christian Jolley and Jake Goodman both left by mutual consent last Tuesday, the same day it was announced Danny Green, Jamie Stuart, Kane Wills and Chris Lewington would not be returning.

Nathan Green and Charlie Wassmer followed them out of the door on Saturday but on Monday the club announced the signings of Fondop-Talom, Brett Johnson and Lewis Taylor on one-year deals.

They join Matt Johnson, who was already under contract, but the futures of several other players including Luke Moore, David Hunt and Glenn Wilson have still to be resolved.