NEW Dorchester Town striker Dan Cann cannot wait to grasp the opportunity of playing for the Magpies next season and claimed that manager Phil Simkin was a massive influence on his eventual destination.

Cann, who admitted that he had agreed a deal with Weymouth and even went to watch the Terras in action on Easter Monday, explained his last minute change of heart to head to the Avenue.

“To be quite honest I was pretty much signed for Weymouth,” the striker told Echosport.

“But Phil called me and said he wanted to meet up with me before I signed anything. I have known Phil for a long time and have a lot of respect for him, what he has done with Dorchester is brilliant to be honest.

“I thought I would give Phil the chance to have a talk with me and what he is looking to do there is really good, so I jumped at the chance to get on board.

“It’s much of a muchness between Dorchester and Weymouth, they are big clubs with great grounds and both get decent crowds but I think it was my relationship with Phil and my relationship with a few of the other players that sold it for me.

“There are a few other reasons, things happen and a big factor for me to go to Dorchester was that I knew Jamie Gleeson, I went to school with him and he’s a good mate of mine.”

Cann also revealed that he is relishing the prospect of linking up with former Terras’ marksman Ben Joyce, and believes the duo can be a lethal combination in the Southern Premier League next term.

He added: “Joycey is a very good footballer, he has a great football brain and, with how he can work off me and the way I play, together I think we can both cause a lot of problems.

“You never know what other clubs might do and it’s hard to set targets, but if you look at the side now there is a good nucleus of players with Critts, Gleeson, Smeets, and good young players like Sam Lanahan.

“If you can build around that and, with me and Joycey up front, hopefully we can push for the play-offs.”

The former Poole Town captain also expressed that while it was a tough decision for him to leave the Dolphins, he is also relishing the new task that beckons for him at the Avenue.

He added: “It’s been a while coming and towards the back end of the season at Poole things just haven’t been the same as they have been.

“I think there are a few regrets there and I felt I needed a new challenge, I needed something to get my teeth into and I felt Dorchester was right for me.”