Skipper Daryl McMahon is enjoying a new lease of life following his decision to quit as youth coach at Dagenham & Redbridge to go full-time with Ebbsfleet United.

For much of last season, McMahon was working 70-hour weeks at Dagenham in addition to his Fleet commitments – and his performances suffered as a result. But now the midfielder not only trains three mornings a week with Ebbsfleet, he also manages their academy.

The 31-year-old’s new-look working week has allowed him to rediscover his best form, with McMahon consistently running games from midfield and weighing in with some spectacular goals.

Fleet manager Steve Brown said: "People don’t understand and appreciate what goes on behind the scenes. Last year Macca was working more hours than the average man and trying to keep a high tempo in training and a level of performance on a Saturday.

"I can honestly pinpoint Macca leaving Dagenham and coming here as the transformation in his performances. If you look at the goals he scored in the first half of last season, it’s something like two or three, and if you look at his goals at the back-end of last season, there were about eight.

"It was no coincidence that it was moving out of Dagenham and into a job here that elevated his performances to captain’s performances."

McMahon said: "I was doing 14-hour days every day. I loved it at Dagenham and it was a great learning curve for me but I was working long hours and it was a terrible work-life balance.

"Coming here full-time and heading up the academy, I’m enjoying it.”

Brown gave McMahon the captain’s armband when injury struck Paul Lorraine in February and he’s led the team out ever since.

He said: "I’m quite loud in the changing-room, I’m a big personality in there, so I think it suits me to be captain. I’m the oldest (player) at the club as well, so that probably helps."

Read the full interview in the Gravesend Messenger.