Danny Kedwell knows his Ashford United players are at the club for the right reasons.

The Nuts & Bolts have made some stellar signings this summer and the manager reckons that will set tongues wagging about budgets.

But the fact he’s attracted the likes of Lee Martin, Mitchell Beeney, Craig Stone, James Dunne and Gary Lockyer is nothing to do with money.

Kedwell, who was named Ashford boss in May, said: “People see the signings we’ve made and probably think we’ve got a massive budget but it’s the same as last year.

“The players have just bought into the new project and they’ve trusted in me.

“The owners haven’t chucked massive money at it.

“It’s never been about money with the players I’ve brought in.

“They were more interested in the project and wanting to play for me.

“They actually wanted to come and play for us.

“It wasn’t, ‘What are you giving me?’ It was quite surprising really.

“We’re just going on with our business quietly and we’ll see where we are.

“I’ve built a great squad but you never know what you’re going to get.

“You can have a great squad and it doesn’t work, so we’ve got to make sure it works.”

Goalkeeper Beeney rejected interest elsewhere to sign for Ashford after working with Kedwell at Chatham last season.

He was swiftly followed through the door by playmaker Martin having left fellow Isthmian South East club Ramsgate.

Kedwell hopes his transfer business is done but, with the nature of non-league football, never say never.

“I don’t think you can ever say you’re done,” said Kedwell.

“You never know what comes up.

“Obviously a lot of people aren’t on contract and teams could come in for them.

“You just never know, so you can never say you’re done until the first game of the season but not even then really.

“It’s not like a Football League club where everyone’s on contract, so you’re always looking.

“Something might come up that wows you and you think, ‘Good God, that would be an unbelievable signing’ but it comes down to budgets and stuff like that as well.

“In my own eyes I’m done, and I’m very happy with what we’ve got, but you never know what’s going to happen.”

Lockyer scored twice, with a trialist also on target, as Ashford beat Erith & Belvedere 3-0 in their opening friendly on Saturday.

They beat Bromley under-23s 3-0 on Tuesday night and Glebe 4-1 on Thursday.

They meet Folkestone at home on Saturday (3pm) and go to Hollands & Blair next Tuesday (7.45pm).

Kedwell has also arranged an additional friendly at Dartford on Saturday, July 20, a day before meeting Kennington at Homelands (both 1pm).

Back-to-back games isn’t an ideal situation but they need to fit in a friendly on grass.

They were due at Dover on August 3 but that game is off as the Nuts & Bolts are in FA Cup extra preliminary round action at home to Egham Town instead.

The winners go to Harrow Borough a fortnight later.

“With the Dover game off, we need a game on grass,” said Kedwell. “It needs to be done.

“Just from my experience when I was at Chatham, it’s a completely different game at home on the 3G.

“Our stats showed that, the amount of home games we won compared to our away form.

“You’ve got to have two different styles really. It’s a different style playing on a 3G pitch to a grass pitch.”

Kedwell was delighted with the performance against Erith & Belvedere after fielding a different XI in each half.

“It was a good run-out, especially in the first half,” he said.

“It wasn’t about the result, it was more what I wanted from the players and they took it on board and were magnificent at it.

“We’d had three training sessions to get it all crammed in, the style of play we want.

“There’s a lot to do still but that’s what the games are for and hopefully by August 3 we’re ready to go.”