DANNY Edwards is focusing on developing the younger players at Chalfont St Peter this season after another of his protégés turned professional this week.

Jerome Okimo joined the professional ranks this week after signing for League Two Stevenage, having helped Wealdstone to the Isthmian League title last season.

It's an overdue step up for the left sided player who turned out for Saints more than 300 times, as a snapped cruciate ended his hopes of signing for Gillingham four years ago.

His former manager at Mill Meadow hopes he won't be the last former Saint to make it professionally.

Edwards said: "We're exceptionally proud of the fact another Chalfont player has gone pro.

"Looking back on the Vase year, four of the boys who were in that team have now been at professional clubs, which makes us very proud.

"We're looking at developing the younger players and try and move a few more on."

It's been a busy summer for Edwards with plenty of players arriving and leaving the club.

Despite that results have been good for Chalfont in pre season. Apart from back-to-back defeats against Hayes and Yeading United and Wingate and Finchley Saints have won all their games, with a 5-1 win over Chipstead the high point of pre season.

Edwards said striker Aaron Lansiquot and goalkeeper Michael McEntegart - who won promotion with Biggleswade two years ago - had been the stand out performers ahead of the first game of the season at home to Bedworth United on Saturday.

He said: "We always try to better what we did last year. In our first two seasons we finished 12th and tenth and we were hoping last year to better tenth but we came 14th. We're aiming to break into the top ten this year and compete at the right end of the table."

Saints are at home again on Tuesday, against Aylesbury.