EASTLEIGH have signed 23-year-old Lincoln City centre-back Callum Howe on loan until January.

The Doncaster-born former Scunthorpe United defender is well known to manager Richard Hill and is a close friend of Spitfires centre-back Andrew Boyce, who joined the club from Grimsby in the summer.

“I’ve known Callum and been a big admirer of his for quite a while,” said Hill.

“He and Boycey played together at Scunthorpe – in fact they’re best mates.”

A product of the Scunthorpe youth system, Howe joined Lincoln – last season’s National League champions - in 2015.

He spent the first few months of the 2016/17 season on loan at Southport and started four league games for the Imps after his return.

Howe penned a new one-year deal for the League Two new boys at the start of June, having so far made 35 league appearances for Lincoln.

With defensive titan Reda Johnson currently out with groin trouble and Ryan Cresswell still recovering from a knee operation, Hill was keen to replenish his central defensive stock amid a testing run of early-season fixtures.

Following tonight’s trip to Woking (7.45pm) - for which Howe will be available, the Spitfires host Tranmere Rovers on Saturday before tackling Leyton Orient (away) and current league leaders Aldershot Town (home).