CAPTAIN Jordan Heath has admitted being “immensely proud” to skipper Harwich and Parkeston.

The frontman moved back to the Shrimpers during the close season after a spell at neighbours Little Oakley.

He believes the future looks bright and says there have been plenty of encouraging signs during the opening fortnight of the new campaign.

Although Harwich conceded late goals and lost 4-2 at May and Baker on Saturday, they staged a fightback and drew 3-3 with White Ensign on the opening weekend of the Thurlow Nunn League season.

They then held much-fancied Holland FC to a 1-1 draw at the Royal Oak, in a match watched by nearly 300 people.

Heath has scored in all three games and said: “Playing for my hometown club again, and being asked to lead the team in their first season back in senior football, is something I’m immensely proud of.

“I never thought I’d get this opportunity and believe we’ve got the right people at the helm, all pulling together.

“As a club, we’re heading towards a much brighter future and I’m so pleased and excited to be a part of it.”

Harwich will be hoping to convert their encouraging early-season form into an opening victory this weekend, when they welcome Fire United to the Royal Oak (kick-off 3pm).

It is the first of two home games on successive weekends, with their next opponents being Newbury Forest - thumped 5-0 by Holland last Saturday.

Defender Shaun Kioussis, another summer signing, believes it is only a matter of time before maximum points are secured and says he and his team-mates are relishing the opportunity to be part of a fresh chapter in the club’s history.

“The team spirit in this side is better than I could ever have imagined,” said the experienced full-back.

“Harwich are such a big club locally and you could see that from the crowd we had for the Holland game (287).

“It’s a club caked in history and now the boys want to be a part of creating new history, getting it back where it belongs - as high in non-league football as possible.

“(Manager) Kieron (Shelley) and (assistant) Mike (Wallace) have come in and given everyone the confidence to be able to achieve that.

“Although we lost last weekend, it feels like we’re improving and gelling with every match we play and I firmly believe we’ll be up there come the end of the season.”

Chairman Tony Armstrong believes the club’s revival after years of facing an uncertain future, languishing in the Essex and Suffolk Border League, is largely down to their merger with Dovercourt Vipers.

Vipers were a successful youth set-up in the area and the clubs joined forces three years ago.

“The turning point for us was amalgamating with the Vipers,” said long-serving Armstrong.

“If they hadn’t come on board, this wouldn’t have been achievable.

“It’s been instrumental because they brought bodies, people and enthusiasm.

“Now we’ve got a structure in place and parents who are interested, because they’ve got children playing for Harwich and Parkeston.

“We’ve got children playing for us from the age of seven and we’ve also got a reserve team.”

Armstrong added: “We set a target with our managers for this season of establishing ourselves back in senior football.

“We haven’t got aspirations of winning the title or anything like that and while that scenario hasn’t changed yet, if we keep getting big crowds then it obviously gives us the resources to do better.”