STRIKER Tom Richardson says the chance to work with manager Glen Driver and play in a system where attractive football is the key is what brought him to Braintree Town.

The 25-year-old was one of the first players that Driver chose to get on board after taking the Iron helm at the start of June and it wasn't a tough decision for Richardson as he was well aware of the reputation of the former Leiston boss having faced his sides over the years.

Driver has said he wants his players to build from the back with an attractive style of football and Richardson, who had a prolific spell in Bostik League division north with Aveley last year, has seen it working at close quarters.

“I know what Glen is about," he said.

“It would be a different proposition if I didn’t really know what he was or what he had done, but I’ve seen what he has done down the years and I’ve played against his teams.

“It’s an attractive style of football that his teams play and one that I can put my faith in.

“Look at the good players who he has brought in and I think you can see that people have bought into it as well.

“Hopefully that will continue."

Richardson has already shown that he has settled into Driver's system, finding the back of the net several times in their pre-season action so far, including braces in the games against Newmarket and Coggeshall.

It shows that things are coming together for the player and the team, but Richardson knows that building a squad from scratch in such a short space of time is a tough task.

And while the striker knows there will be times when everything may not be as they want it, he is confident that they will be fully prepared to face Bath City on the first day of the Vanarama National League South season on August 3

“It was always going to be difficult for Glen," added Richardson, who has also had successful spells with Brightlingsea Regent, East Thurrock United, Romford and Brentwood.

“He’s done a great job in getting the team together but it’s not going to fully stick for a couple of games and we’re going to need time together.

“We’ve had a number of training sessions and we’ve got a good base, but pre-season is a long old process of working things out.

“But Glen is confident and so are we that, by the third of August, we’ll have a good group of players who are ready to go for it.

“The point of pre-season is to get minutes in the tank and get fitness levels up in the way that you can’t in the gym or anywhere else.

“It’s been good to be playing and I feel as though I’m getting there.

“Everyone has a level of fitness but it’s completely different to game fitness; I feel as though I’m in the groove now and the more we get the better we’ll be come the third of August."