Kettering Town fans’ favourite Eddie Panter is loving life at Latimer Park

"I'm the non-league Jamie Vardy right now," said the striker with a wry grin after celebrating a ding-dong victory away to Needham Market on Saturday, where he scored a brilliant solo goal.

He then went on to tell club captain George Forsyth to be 'more vocal - you've got the captain's armband', when Forsyth barged in to our interview!

And it's hard to disgaree with his own confident assessment.

Football supporters up and down the land love a trier - someone who covers every blade of grass and then does it again in the second half.

A trier that finds the back of the net is a manager's dream, and after scoring five times in his first eight games in Kettering colours, Panter has become a vital linchpin in Liam McDonald's plans.

Starting the season in the National League North with newly promoted Bedford Town, Panter had been under the somewhat vocal stewardship of Lee Bircham.

But having only scored once in an Eagles shirt this term (a stoppage time equaliser against Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Cup), Panter lept at the chance to regain his form at Step 3, and agrees that there is a place for both styles of management having now worked with McDonald.

"I like both styles, to an extent you need constructive criticism," said Panter.

"However there's ways of dealing with it, there's man management and Liam does really well with that.

"There's certain people that take criticism really well and sometimes you need to be criticised, but it's just the way you go about it."

The 22-year-old certainly shows his energy levels on the pitch - perhaps helped by Kettering's stop-start fixture list.

Sometimes he can be accused of trying 'too hard' if there was such a thing, which he is fully aware of.

"I get very frustated with myself when things don't happen or go my way," said Panter, who hails from Northampton. "It was last week at Bishop's Stortford - the first half, things just weren't going right and then two minutes into the second half I pop up with a goal.

"I'm learning to believe in myself - I know I'll make chances for myself."

Panter is one of a recent spate of signings who have quickly shown positive signs that Kettering can turn it around on the pitch.

The entire squad is forming a new band of brothers which is a far cry from the lacklustre and sometimes directionless approach of early season.

"It's a massive massive club," beamed Panter. "We know as a group that we should be a lot higher than what we are - but we take each game as it comes.

"The fans have 100 per cent made me feel welcome - from the minute I walked through the door. I sort of want to give back to them and give the fans what they deserve really."

In Panter, Kettering really do have a gem who can progress higher if managed correctly.

Losing the likes of Luca Miller at the start of the season was a blow not just for his talent on the field but as focal point for fans to pin all their hopes.

Eight games in and Eddie Panter might just be the player to finally fill those shoes.