It has been a hectic start to the summer at Stevenage...
Six signings inside six weeks has meant for a speedy start to Dino Maamria's challenge to rebuild a squad capable of competing at the top end of the Sky Bet League Two table next season.
Although some managers may dread this time of year, Maamria says it is a part of the job where he thrives.
“There are a lot of phone calls, a lot of meetings, a lot of players coming in and out your door. It is part of management at this stage of the season. I really enjoy it though. I enjoy meeting players, testing them and looking at their character.
“Although I am enjoying it, once we are done, I really look forward to getting back on the grass.”
Earlier this morning we announced the arrival of goalkeeper Paul Farman from Lincoln City and Dino is delighted to have finally got his man between the sticks.
“I have been monitoring Paul Farman for a few years now and I tried bringing him into the club a few years back.
“He is a very good keeper at the right age, just coming towards his peak. The most important reason why I brought him here though is that he is a winning player.
“He was an integral part of a championship winning side a couple of years ago in the Conference and he has been on this fantastic journey with Lincoln City.
“He is a winning player. He knows how to win games and we need as many of those players as possible in our dressing room.”
Farman is already this week’s second signing after a deal to bring in Michael Timlin, formerly of Southend, was completed on Monday.
“Michael Timlin left an impression on me after we played Southend in the play-offs in 2015. He had that horrific injury to his head here at the Lamex and then two or three days later he got himself back out onto the pitch and scored a terrific goal too.
“That tells me what a fantastic character he is to add to his fantastic ability.
“He is a very, very fit 33 years old. When I met him he impressed me with his drive, his determination, his edge and he is another winning player.
“He will certainly add something to our young squad. The likes of McKee, Kennedy, James Ball and James Ferry will all benefit from having him in our side.”
Although happy with the work done so far, Maamria says he still has eyes on a couple more incomings before the players get back to work on June 25th.
“I think we need two more before the start of pre-season and then after that, we will see what the market will bring in July.
“The chairman has backed me brilliantly and I am very pleased with the business done. We have stuck to our profile of players that I wanted and that is a great start. Hopefully we can get a few more done and we can attack pre-season with a lot of optimism.”
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