Dennis Kutrieb has secured a much sought-after signing with the arrival from Concord Rangers of goalkeeper Chris Haigh.
The 24-year-old hit the headlines most recently when he turned in a man-of-the-match performance at Wembley in the Beachboys’ Buildbase FA Trophy Final against League Two side Harrogate Town.
Having been at Concord since 2019, Haigh was instrumental in their run to the final, making key saves and penalty stops in all the big matches as the Essex side reached Wembley for the first time in their history, and he made more than 50 appearances in all for the club.
Prior to his move into the National League South with Concord, Haigh was voted player of the season at Heybridge Swifts as he helped them win the Isthmian North play-off final in 2018/19. He has enjoyed a solid grounding having played for Watford’s U21s and also gained experience with Maldon & Tiptree, a club well known for developing its young players to climb through the leagues.
Having had options to play elsewhere following his excellent season at Concord and exposure during the Wembley final, Haigh was adamant that Ebbsfleet was his preferred destination when he became aware of the club’s interest. He told the club website, “The club want to move up the division, that’s got to be our team goals. I want to win games of football, that’s why I’m here. For me now it’s about playing for a big club, showing what I can do. The chats I’ve had with the gaffer have made me feel at home, the player welfare here is something you don’t get everywhere and now I’m just looking forward to kicking on.”
You can see Chris’s first interview as a Fleet player below.
