Mills will only swoop for new faces if they can improve his Corby squad

Corby Town have enjoyed a successful pre-season with four wins from as many friendlies including a 9-1 success at Desborough Town in which Elliot Sandy (partly hidden) scored four goals. Picture by David Tilley

Gary Mills insists he will only make additions to his Corby Town squad if he feels those coming in are better than what is already available to him.

The Steelmen are preparing to kick-off their new campaign with an Emirates FA Cup preliminary round tie at Mildenhall Town on Saturday.

And they head there in good spirits after a promising, if not slightly short, pre-season campaign since Mills was appointed.

The experienced boss has overseen four wins from as many friendlies with the most eye-catching being last weekend when the Steelmen won 4-3 at higher-ranked Coalville Town.

Mills has spoken highly of the way the Corby players have gone about their business since he arrived and, to that point, he is adamant that his recruitment must only happen if he believes the players arriving will improve on what he already has.

“The main thing is that you only want to bring people in if they are going to improve the squad,” Mills said.

“I have tried to bring two or three in who have been playing higher and that hasn’t happened for me.

“I have been offered a lot of players in and around the level but I don’t need to take them on because the lads I have inherited have given me absolutely everything and given me something to smile about in pre-season. They have been superb.

“Sometimes you can go looking for something at that level that is not actually there or actually better than what you’ve already got.

“So I have to make sure that if I do players in, they have to be better than the ones I have at this moment in time.

“This group has built up a belief and spirit and it’s been a nice few weeks but the serious stuff starts on Saturday.”

A shortened pre-season seems to have worked in Corby’s favour rather than against them so far.

And Mills once again praised the squad for their attitude as they gear up for the real thing this weekend.

“The work ethic I have asked for has been there, it has been fantastic and I have seen a change in the players’ fitness in a matter of a few weeks,” the Steelmen boss added.

“We have managed to get four games in as well as working hard in training and those games have gone well.

“I think we have improved with every game so it’s been a short pre-season but I have been really pleased with what has happened over those few weeks.”