STONES BOSS SIMILAR TO ZOLA, SAYS IN-FORM HINES

Zavon Hines has likened Maidstone manager Jay Saunders to Italian great Gianfranco Zola.

Hines is loving life at United, scoring in back-to-back wins over Woking and Eastleigh, and puts his form down to the faith shown in him by Saunders.

He worked under Zola at West Ham, who had similar ideas on how to get the best of him.

Hines said: “I like what the manager’s trying to do here – he’s trying to let us play.

“We’ve got a job to do but, especially the front lads, he wants us to express ourselves and be the best we can be.

“For me personally, I love that he’s given me the opportunity.

“I’ve got to work hard first and foremost but once I get on the ball I can express myself.

“Being the player that I believe I am, I like to express, I like to excite and I’ve got that here so I’m in a good place mentally, physically and emotionally.

“When I first came through at West Ham, Zola was similar.

“He just wanted me to express myself as well, the same as Jay, and I liked that.

“I had the same at Dagenham with Wayne Burnett, which is where I had my best season.”

Hines has proved quite a signing since arriving at the Gallagher as a free agent, scoring four goals and setting up just as many.

The 28-year-old isn’t satisfied, though, and says Stones fans are still to see the best of him.

He said: “I feel there’s more to come. I know I’m getting 90 minutes but I don’t feel fully fit yet.

“Slowly but surely I’m getting sharper and sharper and hopefully in the next couple of games I’ll be to the level I know I can be.

“I’m just taking it slowly. I don’t want to rush it, I don’t want to do too much or cause any injuries, I’m just enjoying it and working on my fitness every day.

“I genuinely believe there’s a lot more to come from me. I want to score more, I want to assist more and I want to excite people.”

As well as West Ham, Hines has played for the likes of Burnley and Bradford.

Maidstone may seem an unlikely home for a player who should still be in the Football League but life at the Gallagher is proving right up his street. He said: “It’s a good set-up and a good group of lads.

“They all get along, we all have banter, we don’t take each other too seriously but when we get on the pitch, we work hard for each other.

“That’s the main thing, and I like that. I don’t like it when people are too serious off the pitch but on the pitch we take our jobs seriously and it’s showing.”

Hines’ goal at Eastleigh came moments after he’d hit the post.

It was quite a strike and a worthy winner.

He said: “I was devastated when the first one hit the post because I wanted to score.

I just thought we hadn’t really tested the keeper, so I thought I’d let one off and see if he could handle it.

“Luckily enough, I got another chance in roughly the same position, so I thought ‘let’s go for it’ and it went in the top c or ner. I was buzzing.”