Yao "excited, hungry and ready" for Aveley Challenge

The Ivorian born striker who started his playing career at the West Ham United academy has come back from six month break from football with manager Justin Gardner saying that Yao is “excited, hungry, grown up and ready for the challenge over getting Aveley back up.”

Yao spent three years at Cheltenham but found his chances limited before floating around some top lower level clubs such as Weston Super Mare, Bishops Stortford, AFC Hornchurch and Boreham Wood before deciding to take a break from football as he was afraid he was getting a reputation for having a bad attitude.

But Gardner is unperturbed by Yoa's supposed reputation and believes that he will get the best out of the 25-year-old.

“If he can get his head right, I believe I can get the best out of him” said Gardner.

“He’s a player of undoubted ability, but at 25 he’s probably not lived up to what he could or should have achieved. But he has good experience and is ready to get back to doing what he does best – scoring goals – and letting what he does on the pitch do the talking” concluded Gardner.

Yao will join up with the rest of the squad for the start of pre-season which will also see other new signings Sammy Knott and Jack Giddens join the fray with Gardner expecting a busy few weeks ahead as he builds his squad ahead of the 2013/14 season.