Richard Jolly might only be 32 years old, but it took a season of anonymity to tempt him back to the football field.

The former Carshalton Athletic striker has done everything in the Ryman Premier League, having won the title with Sutton United, reached and triumphed in the play-offs and claimed numerous golden boots.

The Kingstonian new boy went into early retirement in 2013, having smashed 48 goals in a season for the ‘Stone that took them to the Ryman Premier League play-offs and FA Trophy semi-finals in 2012.

It netted him the National Game Awards’ step three player of the year and the Pro Direct non-League golden boot gongs that year, but a year later he quit.

“When you are playing football you think nothing else matters,” he said.

“I decided to retire having gone out on a real high and thinking everyone will remember me and what Iachieved.

“But the reality is the phone stops ringing, you get forgotten and you start to miss playing every week. You realise football doesn’t mean all that much when you’re not playing.

“Things didn’t work out last season at Wealdstone and Tommy Williams [Ks boss] wanted to get me in on loan, but it never happened.

“We stayed in touch and once he told me his plans and the players he was looking to bring in, I did not need to think too long about signing.”

Jolly is pensions and payroll manager at Royal Holloway College, Egham, and has a head for figures, proved by the fact he received £500-a-week to bang in the goals at United.

He is not on that sort of money at Kingsmeadow, but there is one number he has his eye on.

“It was a lucrative move to Sutton and was where I got my title win,” he said.

“It was never about money for me though. I’m still hungry to play the game.

“I have scored 295 goals in in 560-odd games and want 300 goals before I reach 600 games.”