Carl Rook says winning the league with Folkestone is his most satisfying achievement in football.

The former Dartford, Margate and Tonbridge striker has been around the block a few times but the challenge he was set at the Fullicks Stadium got him fired up.

Rook was signed last summer to fill the hole left by experienced front man Paul Booth and he certainly delivered.

It didn’t happen immediately for the 33-year-old but Rook stuck to his task and found the form which has troubled so many centre-halves over the years.

Rook said: "I said to Neil Cugley at the start of the year, with me and Phil Starkey coming in, a bit of experience might help get us over the line. It wasn’t going to plan for me at one stage but then it all clicked.

"We deserve this promotion and I’ve got the most satisfaction out of this one. Where they’ve been in the play-offs, I’ve come in and my goal was to help them get promoted.

"I’ve had promotions elsewhere but this one’s been start to finish, I haven’t come in halfway through. I’ve been here the whole time and we’ve achieved what we set out to do."

Rook has been competing for the No.10 shirt with Harry Smith since the 20-year-old’s arrival from Sittingbourne in December.

He said: "Harry’s come in and done well, which has given me a kick up the backside.

"I was the only target man but he’s come in and is going to be a brilliant player.

"He’s hopefully learned what he can from me but he’s going to end up teaching me something. He’s going to be the player now, not me."

Rook had to learn 'the Folkestone way' after coming into a settled changing room.

He said: "No-one made me feel out of place but a lot of these boys have been here for years and you feel like you need to earn your place.

"We’ve kept grinding out results. We had people getting at us when we lost to Faversham and Hythe – and when we lost at Hythe, that was one of our lowest points.

"We let ourselves down that day. We all had family and friends there and being local rivals, they got in our ear a bit but we’ve shut everyone up now.

"We turned it round and pushed on. To be 18 points clear at this stage is unheard of.

"We’ve dominated it and we deserve it."