Ebbsfleet United have today signed 22-year-old Dagenham & Redbridge midfielder Sean Shields on a month’s loan. The former Northern Ireland U21 international was signed by the League Two side from St Albans City in 2013 on a three-and-a-half-year deal and has played 13 games for the Daggers.

He returned to St Albans on loan earlier this season and caught the eye, scoring five goals from 13 starts, in a three-month spell. Primarily an attacking, right-sided midfielder, Shields began his career as a Tottenham youth before joining Rushden & Diamonds as a 16-year-old. Either side of that he had two spells at Potters Bar Town before rising to prominence at St Albans, playing 92 times for the Saints and scoring 21 goals.

At Dagenham, he played alongside Fleet’s Alex Osborn and visited the PHB Stadium in September with St Albans, setting up the visitors’ goal.