MARK HAWKES has told any club wanting to prise star striker Luke Callander away from Heybridge Swifts they are "wasting their time" as he prepares for the big kick-off.
Callander was the top scorer in the Ryman League Division One North last season, and was on target in Tuesday night's 2-2 draw with Chelmsford City.
The striker was impressive against the Conference South Clarets at Scraley Road, and Hawkes is happy to have held on to him.
"Luke's looking good," he said. "He's physically strong, holds the ball up well, he scores goals and we've got to get support around him.
"He played against two or three different centre-halves and was as strong if not stronger than defenders from two leagues above him.
"We're mates, we treat him correctly. With the job he does it would be very hard for him to step a league or two up.
"We have good agreements with each other, and it helps that we're mates as well. Clubs can come and keep tapping him up, but it's a waste of time."
Swifts – who are 6/1 favourites to win the title with Betway – kick off the season at Dereham on Saturday.
But Hawkes insists it will take ten games before he can judge where his side are going to be.
"You can't plan ahead," he said. "All managers will look on paper and be happy with the squad they're starting with, everyone's going to be in with a chance, but look at the table after ten games and you'll see the ones that are going to be at the top, the ones that are going to struggle and the ones in mid-table.
Hawkes has added a handful of new faces to complement the squad which just missed out on the play-offs last time out, but although he admits he is still looking to sign more, others will have to leave for that to happen.
He said: "We're pleased with pre-season, I tend to do my business at the start so we've had the same 18 or 19 players right from the beginning of pre-season up to now."
Swifts travel to face newly promoted Dereham on Saturday, and Hawkes is wary of the threat they will pose.
"They are a bit of an unknown quantity," he said. "In the last few years you've got to look at the likes of Lowestoft, Leiston, Wroxham last year, teams who have come up have always done well.
"It'll be a difficult game for both clubs, us obviously travelling two and a half hours up the road on the coach, it's not easy but it's got to be done."
