Ebbsfleet United have made a move to sign Jake Hessenthaler following the Gravesend-born midfielder’s two seasons at Dagenham & Redbridge.

The experienced former Gillingham man, the son of ex-Gills manager Andy Hessenthaler and nephew of one-time Fleet forward Darren Hare, has played almost 500 senior matches in a decade at EFL level.

The 31-year-old was a former Chelsea youth who first signed for Gillingham in 2013, going on to win the club’s young player of the year. Across more than five seasons at Priestfield, where he played in the heart of midfield alongside Josh Wright, he racked up in excess of 180 appearances in League One.

He spent the next five years in League Two with Grimsby Town and Crawley Town before signing for Dagenham in 2023, enjoying an ever-present record in his first season. Last season, he scored one of Dagenham’s goals in the New Year’s Day match at the Kuflink Stadium and won the penalty that earned his side a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture in April.

A hard-working and tough-tackling operator who is equally at home defending and attacking from the middle of the park, Hessenthaler told FleetTV “To be back in Kent and to be part of a club that has history in my family is a massive reason and it was a no-brainer for me when the opportunity came about. I’ve played a lot of games and the ability to do that consistently is something that’s helped me throughout my career and now I want to help the Fleet get back to where they should be.”

Jake is available for sponsorship in 2025/26, and if you would like to secure his name, please email [email protected].