It’s a fond farewell to Harrison Firth this summer as our Academy graduate goalkeeper departs with our very best wishes for the future to seek first-team football opportunities elsewhere.

Firth, who turns 22 as next season kicks off, came through the Fleet’s youth ranks as a teenager to sign his first ever professional deal at the Kuflink Stadium and has benefited hugely from the first-team environment at the club as well as the experience and ongoing advice of Mark Cousins and our goalkeeping coaches.

The young keeper first came to the attention of Fleet fans when he made his debut in the Kent Senior Cup at Ramsgate in January 2020 aged 16. He made a string of fine saves against Ramsgate’s first-team squad in that one and was invited to train with the first-team during the following season.

He played the first-half on a YouTube livestream to Fleet fans during lockdown in a friendly win over Dorking Wanderers and went on to gain valuable experience through 2021 as Fleet continued to play friendlies against some high-profile opposition following the cancellation of the 2020/21 season.

Firth received his No.13 squad number for the 2021/22 season having signed his first contract earlier that year and his league debut came at the end of the title-winning 2022/23 campaign when he replaced Cousins to great applause from home fans in a 5-0 win over Hungerford Town.

In his time at the Kuflink Stadium, the young goalkeeper earned plenty of senior experience in loan spells with the likes of Meridian, Punjab United, Lordswood, Chipstead and Erith Town, ending last season in the Isthmian League with the Dockers. He also performed some penalty-save heroics for the Fleet in the National League Cup against Nottingham Forest U21s, stopping three of the visitors’ five spot-kicks on the night.

We as a club are immensely proud of his development through our youth ranks and into our first-team squad. We wish him every success in his future endeavours and of course all the very best at pastures new for 2025/26.