Top of the Rocks’ wish list was a return for non-league football’s leading scorer Sam Higgins and Coventry says he has agreed terms with the 44-goal hitman who is the club’s record goalscorer.

“Sam is obviously a massive player for us. In recent seasons he has started the season at a higher level but for one reason or another hasn’t settled and we have always been glad to welcome him back. He is a player who is very much in demand, and we recognise that he will receive a lot of offers but he and I have talked long and hard about the coming season and agreed terms and it is a measure of the progression that our club has made that Sam has given his commitment to us,” said Coventry.

In addition the Rocks boss has agreed deals with a significant number of last season’s squad, with key players Lewis Smith, David Bryant and Kye Ruel giving their commitment. Also back at Rookery Hill will be young goalkeeper David Hughes, who played all but one of last season’s 59 fixtures, and Tom Stephen – who had also attracted interest elsewhere after impressing with 58 starts!

And it is the number of games that Rocks played last season that has Coventry planning a larger squad this time around.

“Basically, we had a core of about 16 players through the season but in the end I think their legs gave way a little bit. It’s asking a lot of players who have jobs to perform at this level over so many matches and when it came to the final run in, I think it told on them which is why, right at the end, we slipped down the pack challenging for the play-offs,” said Coventry.

“You can’t argue with what they achieved. As a club we punch massively above our weight but we have done that for a while now and we have to set ourselves ambitious targets and that will mean a few more numbers and perhaps a little bit more quality. It won’t be about players at any price, but the right players coming in at the right price to complement the core that we have.

“That core also includes some of the young players we put out with other clubs last season including Tom Anderson and Ryan Boswell and I think a couple of other young ones will come in for pre-season and see how they get on and if they are ready for this level too.

“I will be having a bit of break but I expect my phone still to be busy and we will see where we are in a couple of weeks on my return.

“As always in football, you don’t count your chickens but I have shaken hands on deals with players I trust and I am confident they trust me and the club and I hope that together, we will be right up there again next season. It’s tough at the top, but then the season before last we found out it’s tougher at the bottom so we know what we have to do and I believe that as a club we are capable of doing it.

“Of course, you can never take anything for granted and strange things do happen in football, but I think we will be in decent shape come 8 August.”

The list that Coventry says he has agreed terms with for the new season includes David Hughes, Ryan Sammons, Nicky Symons, Ben Wood, Simon Peddie, Ross Parmenter, Connor Witherspoon, Kyle Ruel, Mitchell Gilbey, Sam Higgins, Manny Osei, Tom Anderson, Joe Paxman, Ryan Boswell, David Bryant and Lewis Smith.