Tonbridge new boy Noel Leighton turned down 20 moves during his prolific season with Three Bridges.
That was the number of seven-day approaches that came in for the striker as he rattled in 41 goals.
Leighton’s form helped the unfancied Sussex club set the early pace in Isthmian South East before making the play-off final.
He was the very definition of an in-demand player, with clubs falling over themselves to sign him.
But it’s Tonbridge who’ve got their man, with Leighton, 25, reunited with Jay Saunders, his old boss at Margate.
“Three Bridges as a club were magnificent - I couldn’t fault them at all,” said Leighton, whose haul included a hat-trick in a 5-4 win at eventual champions Cray Valley.
“I was never going to leave during the season.
“I genuinely thought we were going to get promoted and moving to Step 3 or another Step 4 club was of no benefit to me.
“They could offer me loads of money but I don’t play for money.
“I want to enjoy my football and make my mark.
“I had 20 seven-day approaches but nothing was going to push me on. My mind was set.
“There were four seven-dayers in one week.
“Certain games like the Cray game, when I scored a hat-trick, they were so much better than us, which is why they won the league.
“But without blowing my own trumpet, I pulled us through that game and that was their only loss, so when you get a game like that you’re going to get noticed.
“Clubs knew Three Bridges’ budget wasn’t good, and that they could offer me more money, but that’s not my motivation.”
Leighton decided it was time for a new challenge at the end of the season following Bridges’ play-off final defeat by Chichester.
But it had to be right club - and Tonbridge fit the bill.
The former Dagenham man is stepping back up two levels but is confident he will deliver the goods.
“It doesn’t change too much of my thought process,” said Leighton, whose brother Jack used to play for Tonbridge Reserves.
“I know I can play at that level, I believe I can play in the Football League - it’s just having the right things aligned.
“I thrive on confidence and if things aren’t going well as a team, you don’t get noticed.
“That’s where I’ve grown up in the last few years.
“I need to make the difference - not rely on being part of the difference.
“I’ve had loads of offers, as you can imagine.
“I told Three Bridges I definitely wouldn’t leave for another Step 4 club and it was unlikely I’d leave for Step 3.
“I was really looking for Step 2 or I’d have stayed put.
“I had a couple of opportunities in Step 2 and as soon as Tonbridge came up, it was a no-brainer.
“It’s a more physical league and it’s important to make the right decisions on and off the pitch to be in tune.
“Other than that, it’s business as usual.
“I know I can score goals and be effective at any level.
“I’m really grateful for everything Three Bridges did for me and I know it’s going to be a similar atmosphere at Tonbridge.”
Leighton wants to help Tonbridge push for a play-off place after a pair of encouraging mid-table finishes.
And he’s looking forward to linking up with Saunders, having flourished under him at Margate after an unhappy spell at Dagenham.
“It’s good to be back with Jay,” said Leighton.
“I think we were fifth-bottom when I signed at Margate and Jay had just gone in.
“We went on a great run, won something like nine in a row and ended up on a late play-off push.
“The team was so cohesive. Those two or three months were some of my best times in non-league besides maybe last season.
“Jay knows how to get the best out of players.
“We’ve seen that at Maidstone and in the last two seasons at Tonbridge.
“They’ve not quite got in the play-off realm but there’s a lot of factors which have played a part, which I think this year we’ll overcome.
“Another thing about Jay is he’s one of the more emotionally controlled managers.
“With a lot of managers, the highs are high-high and the lows are low-low.
“With Jay, he knows how football works.
“If something doesn’t go quite right it’s not the end of the world and if it does go well, he keeps feet on the ground.”
