Ian Draycott will be a Folkestone player again next season after his goals helped fire them to the championship.

Draycott is ready to play Ryman League Premier Division football again after several years in Division 1 South, where he’s won promotion with three different clubs.

The striker left Maidstone and Leatherhead following their play-off successes but he’s going nowhere this summer – and that will be music to the ears of Invicta supporters.

Draycott said: "I sat down with Neil Cugley when I signed for Folkestone and said "I want to be playing in the Ryman Premier." Cugs responded: "I want to manage in the Ryman Premier" so we were both on the same hymn book from the start.

"We want to have a crack at the Ryman Prem. We don’t just want to consolidate, we want to push straight away up the league.

"I’ve played most of my career at that level, in the Southern Premier with Bedford Town and then with Lewes (in the Ryman League).

"It’s only been the last two or three years where I’ve played for Maidstone at this level, Leatherhead and now here in Ryman South.

"I had six or seven seasons playing Premier Division football and then dropped down for a couple of years to the Ryman South – always with the aim to get back to the Ryman Premier.

"This is my chance to go back into that league and show I can do it."

Draycott scored twice on Good Friday as Folkestone beat Walton & Hersham 6-0 to clinch the championship.

He now has 77 goals in 105 appearances for the club and is eyeing the league's Golden Boot but team success was always his main objective.

Draycott said: "We had a lot of heartache last year, losing in the play-offs and some of the boys have gone through it a couple of times.

"To get over the line with five games left is brilliant.

"It was a horrible feeling last year, going back into the changing-rooms on the losing side, seeing them celebrate on our pitch.

"We set our stall out and said we want to win the league. We brought in a couple of players in the summer and ahead of anything, they’re winners. Carl Rook’s got three or four promotions under his belt and so has Phil Starkey.

"We’re a real close-knit group, a good squad. We always knew we could and maybe we’ve fulfilled our potential this year."

Full promotion coverage in the Folkestone & Hythe Express.