Scott Cousins says he can finally put the football Chelsea taught him into practice after signing for ambitious Carshalton Athletic.

Boss Hayden Bird set out his stall to win the Ryman League Premier Division next season – and to do so playing stylish football.

He told about 150 fans at a meeting last Tuesday that the brand of flowing football he has preached at the club had helped attract players with a "big club mentality" for less money than they had been offered elsewhere

Cousins, 25, left Chelsea four years ago and has played for clubs including St Albans in the second and first tier of non-League.

He told the Advertiser: "I'd like to think I have the ability to play at a higher level, but sometimes [in sport] it doesn't happen.

"Hopefully this will suit me as a player, because everything I was taught at Chelsea has been of no use to me in non-League football.

"We were taught to get it out from the back and play on the floor.

"I'd heard of Carshalton's growing reputation for good football.

"A couple of Conference South teams came in for me but then Hayden gave me a ring."

Attractive football is also what Cousins passes on in his day job to youngsters as a coach at the David Beckham Academy in Greenwich.

He agrees that the club setting its stall out to win the league in such an unreserved fashion will bring pressure to the team.

"We'll have a reputation that we want to win the league and the players should enjoy playing under that pressure."

His experience at St Albans, who remained part-time in the Conference, struggled and were relegated after a season, will help guard against complacency, if his remark that they lost out fitness-wise in the final 20 minutes of matches is a guide.

Cousins was one of six new names unveiled. Most high profile was Wes Fotherington, the England Under 19 keeper signed on a season-long loan from Fulham, who have become "a real ally" said Bird.

Bird, mentioning it was a problem position last year, told the Advertiser that, like all the new players, Fotherington had been brought in to play but that he would have to fight for his place. Dave Hyatt has been brought in as goalkeeping coach having been with Leatherhead last season and former Sutton boss Ian Hazel, the academy director, given a role in the first-team coaching set-up.

Ex-AFC Wimbledon midfielder Wes Daly – "the best midfielder in our league last year", according to Bird – was among the arrivals, with Hastings duo Antonio Gonnella, a defender, and Frankie Sawyer, a striker whom Bird says will complement top scorer Richard Jolly and Charlie Ide.

Matt Gray, formerly of Woking and Sutton, has also been added to the line-up which Bird described as "incomplete" but added: "It's probably the best squad the club has had for quite a while."

He added that the players could all have got better money elsewhere and said Sutton keeper Paul Nicholls priced himself out.

Bird said he had no wish to repeat last season's play-off "lottery". In the final, Junior Kadi missed a penalty on 84 minutes and Staines won in extra-time. Bird added: "I don't want to be relying on a penalty-kick again next season.

"To win the league we needed to improve by 30 per cent, first with the coaching staff, second with the environment so there are no excuses and third the squad itself.

"The 69 points last year far exceeded expectations, but to win the league we will have to get 90 points – that's a tall order.

"We're looking to try to win the league and then compete in the Conference South."