Maidstone United have signed Jack Parkinson from Skrill Premier side Woking for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old will be familiar to many at the club having coached at Maidstone’s football academy for the past two and a half years. A UEFA A Licence coach, Parkinson joins as a player/coach on a two and a half year deal.

The highly-rated defender or central midfielder joined Woking from Welling in summer 2012, having previously attracted interest from several league clubs.

During his time with Surrey side he made 58 league and cup appearances, scoring fourteen times. While at Welling, Parkinson made more than 130 league appearances for the Kent side, captaining the team in his last two seasons and leading them to the play-off final in 2011/12.

Parkinson said: “I am very pleased to be joining Maidstone United and see it as a good career move. This is a big club that’s well-supported. It’s very ambitious and looking to go through the leagues and I am excited to be a part of that journey.”

Maidstone United manager Jay Saunders added: “I am delighted to have Jack on board. He’s got lots of experience and at 24 is still a good age. It shows how far we have come in such a short space of time to attract someone of that calibre.”

“He’ll be a great addition to the squad and I look forward to working with him.”