Chris Bush has paid tribute to his partner for helping him through the dark days at Ebbsfleet.

The defender joined Bromley on Tuesday having made 87 appearances in just under two seasons at Stonebridge Road.

Bush improved greatly during that time but also felt the pressure of late wage payments throughout the 2018/19 campaign.

"It was tough," he said. "My partner’s just had a baby so she’s been on maternity leave for the last year and it’s been very tough.

"There were times, like anyone, when the money’s not coming in, you question where it comes from next. Luckily enough we made some provisions for that but not having an income come in when it’s supposed to come in is really tough.

"Credit to my partner because if it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would have got as far through it as I did.

"She was very supportive of me, she understood the situation and we got through it. But it was a really tough situation to be in.

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"I experienced something similar when I was at Hereford, maybe a little bit worse there as we didn’t get all our wages but it’s not a nice situation to be in.

"I don’t wish it for any club or any player because the minute you don’t know when your wages are coming in next, it can filter down to how you play.

"Credit to all the boys because we kept putting in performances with that looming over our heads. It’s a dark cloud hanging over your head and it wasn’t always pretty to be honest."

Problems off the pitch didn't stop Fleet taking their National League play-off push into the final week of the season.

"It was the only thing a lot of us knew," Bush said. "It was very tough to comprehend. At the time, you want the best but you’re also thinking about each other.

"We were so good as a group that we stuck together, we were so positive about things and our mindset didn’t really change in games which is hopefully what showed towards the end of the season.

"Credit to all the boys because unless you’re really inside the circle or have close connections with anyone inside the circle, it’s a tough place to be. I don’t think we would have got through it without having each other.

"Everyone makes a judgment or has an idea about what things are like but unless you’re in that changing-room and you’re experiencing it on a day-to-day basis you can never fathom what is actually happening.

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"We all knew what the situation was, we all made joint decisions together as to what we were going to do and we stuck by them.

"It wasn’t to be towards the end of the season, not making the play-offs, but we did as much as we possibly could given the circumstances we were put in."

A defensive injury crisis in August 2017 prompted Daryl McMahon to sign Bush from Chelmsford, who Fleet had beaten in the play-off final just a few months earlier.

Bush said: "Last season was one of the most challenging in my career but also the first season, when I was a bit in and out of the team. That was another learning curve for me.

"I came in and played a handful of games straight away before I was on the bench. It was just about coming in and doing what I knew I could.

"I felt I was more than capable to be a part of the squad because it was such a talented squad we had the season before last. I fitted in really well, maybe didn’t get the consistency of games I would have liked but coming into the season just gone, I managed to get more of a run of games and played more consistently, regardless of the position and that helped my confidence."

McMahon had a very clear way of playing which Bush had to buy into quickly.

"I thrived off that," he said. "You should never limit yourself to one style of play because things change, managers change and the games you play will change.

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"The way we played against Orient in the second game of the season wasn’t the way we played against Solihull away, so stuff like that makes you a better player.

"It wasn’t so difficult to adapt - it was a good challenge to accept."

Bush seemed to come on leap[s and bounds as a player during his time with Ebbsfleet but would the 26-year-old go along with that assessment?

"Most definitely," he said. "I highlighted some things for myself personally that I know I need be on top of in order to give myself the best possible chance but also going through what we did for the last two years is a character builder.

"It will help whenever you go into another team, the type of person you could be in the changing-room, like the Ebbsfleet one we had and going forward and taking what you know possibly into the Bromley changing-room and seeing how far we can go together as a group."

For all the difficulties Bush faced at Ebbsfleet, he enjoyed some great moments too.

He said: "The one that sticks out the most is the Orient game at home - for obvious reasons. It was such a big game.

"We were still chasing the play-offs at the time, they were chasing top spot and on a personal level, it was a really nice game for me to play in. I played well and scoring (a brilliant free-kick) highlighted how well I had done throughout the season.

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"The Aldershot game prior to that was very good, to get a taste of the play-offs and to win the first round was unbelievable.

"We were unlucky at Tranmere and they’re the two games over the course of the two years that stick out the most."

Bush was on a long list of players due to be released by Ebbsfleet on the expiration of their contracts t the end of June.

He said: "I felt I’d done enough to stay but I guess everything happens for a reason.

"When I spoke to the manager (Neil Smith at Bromley) he outlined his plans for the upcoming season and beyond and it was definitely something I wanted to be part of. It’s very similar to how Ebbsfleet was, with the ambition about where they want to go and the foundations they’re laying to be a club with longevity."

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