Striker Steadman Callender is set to face an opening-day reunion with his old club when he makes his Whitstable debut this season.

Callender joined the Oystermen earlier in the summer from Southern Counties East Premier Division rivals Erith Town. The teams will meet at The Belmont next Saturday, as 29-year-old Callender comes up against plenty of familiar faces.

The striker made history while with the Dockers, including scoring the last-ever competitive goal netted at Brentford’s former Griffin Park ground, but Whitstable boss Marcel Nimani wants Callender to write his name into their record books.

“He has come in from Erith Town and he speaks very respectfully of them,” Nimani said.

“I’m sure it will be emotional. But I trust him to manage his emotions.

“From what I’ve seen, he is really keen to repeat his history with Erith at Whitstable now.”

Whitstable are in FA Cup action at Haywards Heath, relegated from Isthmian South East last season, the following Saturday before a trip to Glebe on August 12 and a home game against Lordswood three days later.

They finish off the opening month by hosting Kennington and visiting much-fancied Faversham on August 28.

Nimani claimed: “When we look at our August schedule, it’s about as tough a start as you can get.

“We have got Erith Town, a promotion contender, and then Haywards Heath in the FA Cup. They will be promotion contenders in their league.”

Winger Ashley Robinson has moved on despite featuring for Whitstable in pre-season.

Nimani explained: “Ashley had a really good pre-season with us.

“He was keen on staying around. But we felt, for the time being, he might not get the minutes he deserves and in the position he wants to play.

“He’s trialling somewhere else but the door is open with him.

“He’s a good player and fantastic to have around. It might just be the wrong timing for us and him.”

While Robinson is 33, the bulk of the Oystermen’s squad is younger, including latest summer recruit, midfielder Jack Palmby.

Nimani said: “We started pre-season with 24 players.

“We have narrowed it down to the last 19. With the 19, we have 11 players under the age of 23.

“It goes to show we’re building a project at Whitstable and we believe in the project.”

A late brace by midfielder Josh Oliver, along with goals from Harry Gamble and Josh Williams, helped Whitstable win 4-1 against Isthmian South East East Grinstead last weekend.

Nimani said: “Pre-season has gone as planned.

“When we structured pre-season, we structured it in three stages.

“The first stage, we wanted to assess how the new players settled into the changing room. Then, we went into shapework.

“Throughout, we have focused on gradual fitness as well.

“The boys are fit and we’re scoring late goals, so that’s good.”

It was the third time Whitstable have eased past higher-division opposition in their warm-up matches.

But Nimani added: “Pre-season, we’re not playing for the results - we’re playing for the performances.

“It’s just about whether we can reach these ceilings consistently to be in with a shout of the play-offs.

“But we’re pleased to have raised our ceiling and our potential.”

With plenty of key personnel from their first-team squad unavailable, Nimani intends to rotate his squad for their final friendly this weekend after they beat their Academy 3-0 on Tuesday.