Devonte Aransibia says Maidstone will be ready for a big challenge in National League South this season.

Aransibia became the Stones’ first summer signing when he joined from neighbours Tonbridge in May.

The midfielder, who started his career at Norwich, likes what he’s seen in his short time at the Gallagher Stadium.

The division looks tougher than ever with big-name clubs Torquay and Yeovil relegated from the National League along with Maidstone.

But Aransibia, 24, is confident George Elokobi’s men will be well prepared for what lies ahead, with United starting the season at home to Slough on August 5.

He said: “The football’s definitely improving with loads of boys coming into the league and loads of boys coming down from higher leagues.

“It’s getting very competitive, with loads of big teams in there.

“I think it’s going to be a real challenge but we’ll definitely be prepared for it.

“With Torquay and Yeovil coming down, there are some very big clubs in this league.

“We’ve got to be ready and make sure we know what we’re doing and I’m pretty sure we’ll be OK.”

Pre-season has been tough, but rewarding, with the squad put through some rigorous running and sprinting tests before a ball was kicked.

Fitness will be a key weapon in Maidstone’s armoury, with the players buying into Elokobi’s methods.

“Everything’s good,” said Aransibia. “I feel ready for the season.

“There’s been quite a lot of running so far.

“We’ve had sprints and agility tests and we’ve been doing 800m.

“It’s been refreshing. In terms of fitness, I definitely feel good.

“The clubs I’ve been at, we haven’t really done anything like that.

“George is definitely serious with everything and on point with everything that he’s doing. He knows what he’s doing.

“The togetherness is very strong at this club.

“Everyone’s focused and motivated and I haven’t had any problems whatsoever. Everyone’s doing their job, basically.”

It was a big decision for Aransibia to leave Tonbridge, where he scored seven goals in 29 appearances after joining from Welling last November.

Jay Saunders got the best out of him as Angels secured their record finish of ninth in National League South, and he was popular with fans.

Aransibia said: “I enjoyed my football with Jay at Tonbridge, whereas when I was at Welling it was kind of a rough stage for me.

“He got me back playing and obviously George was watching me towards the end of the season and that’s where he caught eyes on me and knew that he wanted me.

“It was pretty hard to leave Tonbridge. The fanbase was very nice, the people were nice, the manager, the assistant, everything was so good.

“All the boys there begged me to stay. I explained to them that I wanted to get the best out of myself and I feel this is the next step.

“I’ve heard massive things about this club, so I’m excited to see what’s to come.

“I want to get the best out of myself and see what I can achieve in my football career. I’m definitely looking to push on.”

Aransibia spent eight years at Norwich, coming through the academy before signing his first professional deal.

A first-team breakthrough eluded him but it was still a special time.

“It was a very good experience,” he said.

“I grew up in north London, in Tottenham, so it was a big change moving to that area and I definitely learnt a lot.

“I had a lot of people to look up to, which helped me as well, and I kind of know the standard I need to be at in order to get where I need to get to.

“I left there when I was 19/20. I was a second-year pro. They did say to me you’re a very good player but by the looks of it we don’t think you’ll be playing for our first team, so that was still good news for me in a way.”

Maidstone host Sheppey in their opening friendly on Saturday (3pm), with Chatham visiting the Gallagher on Tuesday (7.45pm).