FORMER Weymouth under-23s midfield Will Keita has joined AFC Totton ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Standing at six-foot-three-inches with an athletic physique, Keita usually plays as a defensive midfielder but is also comfortable at centre-back or right-back.

Upon joining the Stags he said: “I want to come here, help Totton win promotion and get a professional club to take a serious interest in signing me.

"I want to play football at the highest level I possibly can. I wasn’t getting the minutes I needed at Weymouth, but I believe that coming here will give me the opportunity to show what I can do and start progressing in that direction.

Stags boss Jimmy Ball said: “Will is an aggressive defender with the strength and physique to match.

“It’s very pleasing to be able to attract an exciting prospect like him to the club at this stage, and it points to what we’re trying to do in terms of the introduction of an Under-23s team as a direct pathway into the first team.

"If we can get that right and get it working as it should, then we’ll massively lighten the burden on the transfer budget while generating a team that the people of Totton can be rightly proud of.