Experienced defender Louis John is the latest addition to Danny Searle’s Fleet squad as the centre-back arrives at the Kuflink Stadium after spending several seasons in League Two with Sutton United.

The 30-year-old ends a long association with Sutton, having broken through their youth ranks before a brief spell with Crawley Town. He returned to Gander Green Lane and helped the Surrey side to the National League South title in 2015/16 and he was part of the squad that embarked on the historic FA Cup run the following year. And in a standout season in 2017/18, John helped steer Sutton to third place and a National League play-off berth before his form earned him a move into League Two with Cambridge United.

The Croydon-born defender played more than 20 times for the U’s before rejoining Sutton and further writing himself into the club’s record books by clinching the National League title and promotion to the EFL for the first time in their history in 2020, scoring a goal on the day his side clinched the league.

In all, John has turned out more than 250 times for Sutton, scoring 13 times in a career that has seen him win two league titles in a remarkable journey from the National South to the EFL, plus appear in a Wembley final in the EFL Trophy.

And it won’t be the 6ft 2in defender’s first taste of the Fleet either as he had a short loan spell at the club back in November 2016, making two appearances in that promotion season before returning to Sutton. He has also featured on loan for the likes of Hemel Hempstead Town and Hampton & Richmond Borough in his younger days. 

The Fleet’s latest signing told FleetTV what to expect from him, saying: “I’m pleased to be joining the lads and getting stuck in to the new season. I like to think I’m a leader and can set an example from the back, dominant in the air too, but most of all I like to keep that ball out of the back of the net.”