Ebbsfleet United have concluded the second new signing of the summer with the addition of versatile former Preston North End and Scunthorpe United player Jack King.

The six-foot defender/midfielder most recently played for Stevenage and has spent the last six years in the Football League after working his way up from non-league to League One level.

The 32-year-old featured 32 times for Stevenage in League Two last season and was part of the Preston squad that won promotion from League One in 2014/15. The Oxford-born player began his youth career with his hometown side and also featured for Swansea City’s academy before dropping into non-league with Didcot Town and Brackley Town. He was a key part of the Farnborough side that lost out to the Fleet in the 2011 Conference South promotion final and won the division the following season with Woking, where he was named in the league’s team of the year.

He climbed three levels when Preston snapped him up in 2012/13 and he spent three seasons at Deepdale, clocking up 80 appearances for the club. In his time at Preston, he played in numerous positions including full-back, the centre of defence, central midfield and up front. Another season at League One level with Scunthorpe United followed, much of it spent as captain, where Jack only just missed out on the play-offs once more, his side failing only on goal difference.

He joined Stevenage, initially on loan, in August 2016 and in total made 70 appearances for the League Two side, playing alongside former Fleet striker Matt Godden before departing on the expiry of his contract this summer. A utility player capable of performing in almost every outfield position, he featured largely in the centre of defence for Stevenage, a position in which Daryl McMahon also intends to utilise him.

“Jack can play pretty much anywhere really,” McMahon told EUFC.CO.UK. “I see him as a footballing centre back and that’s the position he’ll be competing for with us in the coming season.”