MAX Cornhill says East Thurrock United need to be aiming for the play-offs after a strong summer recruitment drive.

Rocks have been busy in the early months of the off-season, signing James White, Brad Warner, George Allen and Lewis Smith.

Cornhill became the fifth name to join the National League South outfit earlier this week, after he left league rivals Chelmsford City.

And the man who spent six years at the club up to 2011 says he is excited at John Coventry’s team’s prospects.

“It was an easy decision to go back,” said Cornhill, who lives in Chafford Hundred. “At the end of the season I had a think and decided to move on for footballing reasons.

“I didn’t play as much as I wanted to last year and that is one of those things.

“I wanted to leave so I gave Covo a text and asked if he needed a midfielder. I saw he had signed a few and he said he wanted to sign me and I agreed.”

The 30-year-old admitted he couldn’t fail to be impressed by East Thurrock in their first season at the second tier of non-league football last year.

Rocks finished 13th and much closer to the play-off places than the relegation zone.

And Cornhill has urged Rocks to gun for a top five spot.

“They had a great team last year and I thought they were excellent,” he said. “I came on at Rookery Hill while I was playing for Chelmsford last year and was impressed.

“They are a young team looking to push on and are playing without fear.

“Covo has recruited well and I think the team can push for the play-offs and maybe higher.”

Cornhill added he was delighted to be linking up with White, who he has played with at Concord Rangers.

And there are a number of other familiar faces in the squad.

“I saw Whitey had moved there and I didn’t know if Covo would want another central midfielder but he did,” he said.

“I played with Burnsy (Lee Burns) at Dartford and East Thurrock as well as Ryan Sammons, Ben Wood and Sam Higgins.

“I know these guys and I am looking forward to getting started.

“I am a box-to-box midfielder and have been for years,” he added. “I want to score but, in the later years, you don’t need to do that to win games.

“This team already has goals running through it and I hope I can bring a bit of steel and that will help grind out some 1-0 wins.”