Tonbridge Angels are cracking on with plans for next season.

Manager Jay Saunders revealed they have already started tying down players for 2024/25.

There’s still plenty to play for in the last two months of the current campaign, with Angels chasing a top-10 finish in National League South.

But it’s important to have one eye on the future as the club continue to grow.

“We’ve started agreeing deals with players we’ve got at the club for next year,” said Saunders.

“There’s lots of positives going on behind the scenes and then hopefully we can build and improve again next year.

“You’ve got to keep your better players at the club and this is something I’ve said regarding establishing ourselves at this level.

“Before, it was about trying to stay in the league but now it’s about trying to establish ourselves.

“If you can keep your better players, it helps you attract other players as well.

“It’s something we’re working hard to do and we’ve tied up deals with a few of them, which is good, and hopefully other people will see that and see what we’re trying to build here.

“We had it at the end of last season when we lost a few players and you’re constantly trying to find new ones.

“We found it hard at the beginning of the season, I’m not going to lie. We recruited lads we thought would do well for us but they didn’t and we spent a while trying to get better players in, the likes of Sean Shields.

“We’ve got to try and keep these better players at the club so at the end of the season they’re not looking to jump ship, they’re realising we want to try and push the club on.”

Tonbridge ended a four-match winless run by beating Eastbourne Borough 2-0 last weekend.

Ethan Sutcliffe broke the deadlock after the visitors were reduced to 10 men and Mo Dabre’s shot hit the bar and went in off the keeper to clinch victory.

Former Dover midfielder Ryan Hanson, a recent arrival from troubled Torquay, was the star of the show.

“He was outstanding on Saturday,” said Saunders.

“Personally, I thought he was the best player on the pitch. He’s got all the tools to be a very good player.

“For whatever reason it didn’t work out at Torquay.

“I nearly took him earlier in the season.

“We agreed a deal with Torquay for him to come on loan and then they had injuries and couldn’t let him out.

“We got wind there might be a possibility of signing him and we got it done as quick as we could.

“I liked him at Dover and whenever I’ve seen him, he’s been good. He’s going to be a good signing.

“You saw on Saturday what he brings and that’s someone in midfield who can do a bit of everything.”

Tonbridge, 11th in the league, face two games in three days.

They visit second-bottom Havant on Saturday (3pm), followed by a trip to play-off contenders Aveley on Monday (7.45pm).

Saunders said: “I’ve never been a fan of two games in three days but it is what it is.

“Havant are still fighting to stay up and when you look at their squad it’s hard to work out why they are where they are in the league.

“It’s a bizarre one because on paper and when you watch some of their games they’ve been very good.

“Then Aveley are fighting at the other end still trying to make play-offs. They’re two really difficult games.

“For us, last month killed us with regard to the play-offs but we’ve just got to try and keep winning games.

“If you put two or three wins together then you can jump up a little bit.

“If we can’t make the play-offs then we’ll fight as much as we can to try and make the top 10 and that’s the aim.”