Matlock Town boss Steve Kittrick happy to play the waiting game when it comes to new signings

Kittrick has retained four senior players from last season’s squad and added four new signings of his own, but is keen to add several more faces and work with a squad of around 18 players.

But he is willing to wait until the right players come along at the right cost.

He said: “There is a bit of a merry-go-round at this stage and I’m keen to wait until that slows down a little.

“Players can be a bit over priced when it comes to wage demands in the early stages of the summer but that soon settles down and they end up asking more for what they’re worth.

“Also important to me is meeting players personally and feeling that they’re right for the club.

“It’s important to take that time and ensure you’re getting the right player not only for on the pitch but in the dressing room too. You can’t get that vibe if you don’t spend time with players first.

“We have a big building job to do and the blocks are starting to be put in place.

“The players we’ve retained are lads I know will do a good job for us and the young academy players will also get the chance to impress.”

Kittrick added that he is satisfied with the club’s pre-season schedule, with seven friendlies arranged in the lead up to the new NPL season which begins on August 17.

He said: “Seven should be a good number of games.

“I’ve learned from past experience that more than that can run the risk of fatigue before the season even starts, which is obviously not good.

“It’s a late start once again which I can never really understand given how early most other leagues begin.

“That’s particularly the case given we play Saturday/Tuesday/Saturday every week for the first couple of months so there are a lot of games to cram in.”