Matt Johnson has admitted he had a Corporal Jones moment when Jamie Day succeeded Steve Brown as Ebbsfleet manager.

The midfielder, brought to the club by Brown last summer, was not a first-choice at the start of the season and when he did get a run in the team he was used out of position on the right wing.

Having only been a bit-part player under Brown, Johnson understandably feared for his future when the former Charlton defender was sacked in November.

Billy Bricknell, Anthony Cook, Michael Corcoran, Shane Huke, Daryl McMahon, Ben May and Chris Sessegnon were all shown the door by Day as part of a major squad overhaul.

But the new manager had two words for Johnson – don’t panic.

"I think, for a short period of time, everyone was worried," Johnson said. "They’d be lying if they told you they weren’t.

"But the gaffer came in and spoke to me quite early on and made it clear that he wanted me around. He wanted to bring characters into the club who were similar, who wanted to be here.

"It was ‘panic over’ after a short period of time.

"When the gaffer gives you a vote of confidence, it can only help you as a player to go out there and express yourself on the pitch. You haven’t got to worry that ‘if I have a bad game, I might be out’, which I think maybe was the case for a few of the players."

A change of manager has brought about a change of approach for the Fleet.

Johnson said: "Browny was probably more defensive than Jamie Day. The gaffer likes to get the ball forward quickly and create goalscoring opportunities.

"That’s what the majority of the players in the team enjoy doing; attacking, expressing themselves and creating chances. Browny was a little bit happier with a clean sheet."

Read the full Matt Johnson interview in the Gravesend Messenger.