2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Billericay Town

Player Decisions

Retain

Charlie Ruff, Jon Benton, Elliott Long, Callum Watts, Alfie Cerulli, Jay Porter, Ry Scott, Tommy Davis, Ollie Parsons

Release

Tyrrell Miller-Rodney, Jazzi Barnum-Bobb, Ben Steward, Jacob Adams, Tyrese Owen, Jack Evans, Frankie Merrifield, James Holden

Loan End

Keon Lewis-Burgess

Lose

Teddy Collis

Sign

Louis Lomas, Taylor Clark, Odei Martin Sorondo, Matty MacArthur, Joe Wright, Ben Isaacson

Retained Squad

New Signings

Siju Odelusi (Sutton United – free)

One avenue that I think Danny Scopes may well go down during the summer is signing players that he has worked with before. He re-signed Jon Benton midway through 2025-26 having worked with him before at Aveley, and one player that I feel he will look at following his release by Sutton United is Siju Odelusi. 

Personally, I feel that Odelusi is in a bit of a difficult spot in his career. The last few moves have not quite worked out for the 27-year-old, and I think that he needs to go and have a good year in 2026-27. The best form of his career has come playing at Aveley under Danny Scopes, and so it would not surprise me to see the midfielder reunite with his former manager at Billericay Town to try and reignite his career. There is definitely a talented player there if used in the correct way and platformed effectively, and the best version of Odelusi has come playing in a Scopes side. As such, I would be hugely in favour of signing for Billericay Town if I were advising Siju Odelusi as to the next step. 

Looking at the options that Town have at their disposal currently in the middle of the park, I think that adding a player of Odelusi’s profile would be hugely welcomed. They have got two intelligent and creative technicians in the form of Callum Watts and Jon Benton, yet both of them are diminutive operators. As such, if I identify areas in which they can improve going into the National League South then it would definitely be signing a midfielder with the size and physical stature to handle the intensity and physical demands of the division, and someone that is capable of being combative against the ball. 

As a player, Odelusi is an imposing customer with his frame. A long-legged, rangy, box-to-box profile with the athleticism to get about the pitch, I feel that he provides them similar physical attributes to what they have moved on in Tyrese Owen yet also offers that extra ball-carrying ability and being able to break the lines in arriving late into the box. When Scopes and Odelusi worked together at Aveley, Odelusi provided real value in what was an Aveley side that were fairly direct in their approach in providing the physical reference in the first instance in receiving the ball, yet the frame and physicality to carry the ball and drive the ball to goal. 

Crucially, I feel that Odelusi provides Town with a midfield profile a little bit different to what they have got currently. He can arrive into the box from deep and get on the end of things. Make late runs forward. He is a good athlete. Suitably industrious in the tackle. A strong work ethic, and energy against the ball. Capable in the air as an outlet when defending set-pieces. Covers ground quickly. Town aren’t going to dominate games as much as they perhaps did in the Isthmian League, and so having players who can out run and out muscle their opponents is going to be hugely important. 

Scopes has already shown how to get the best out of Odelusi, and so I would be confident that he could be the manager to get him back playing. He has experience of the league, and I feel he is a good all-round profile for a midfielder. Despite having finished 2025-26 on loan in the National League South, I think that signing Odelusi would represent a bit of a coup and so I think Scopes should position himself at the front of the queue for his signature.

Jason Adigun (Chelmsford City – free)

One player left his parent club at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and is yet to sign for a club is youngster Jason Adigun. The 22-year-old had a strong season with Chelmsford City to the tune of 7 goals in the league and was voted as their Young Player of the Year. He has moved on from the club following the arrival of Mark Cooper and I think that if Billericay Town want to make a statement then I think the former Dagenham and Redbridge attacker mat be worth consideration as a possible signing for Danny Scopes’ side. 

I like Adigun a lot, and I think that he represents a really exciting profile. He is a quick and direct attacking player. Quick feet. A clever drop of the shoulder. He looks to attack space, and will take risks in committing players. He wants to get his down and drive the ball to goal, and if you can polish that end product then there is a dangerous player there. You’ve only got to see his ability to glide past players at speed and how quick is he is to shots off on either foot to show what he is capable of.

Given his profile, I feel that he is a good tactical fit for the system that Billericay Town employ. Playing with largely a 3-at-the-back, I think that Adigun is most effective when being used as a #10 whereby he has got the tactical freedom to make intelligent runs off a physical #9 and can arrive onto the play from deep. Adigun’s strength is in the intensity and dynamism in his running into space, and his low centre of gravity allowing him to receive the ball in tight spaces and get on the turn. 

One thing that I particularly like about Adigun in terms of his fit into this Town side is the fact that he has got the ability to carry the ball over large distances at speed and efficiently with clever changes of direction, and particularly dangerous in transition. Town are not going to be able to dominate the ball as much as they would perhaps like as they step up into the National League South, and Danny Scopes has previous – with Aveley – of successfully implementing a fairly efficient counter-attacking approach. Having that player that takes risks on the ball and get his team up the pitch is particularly important, and allows them to be a little more intricate in how they open teams up. 

One of the attractions that Billericay Town would have in signing Jason Adigun is the fact that Town assistant Adam Drew spent time with The Clarets last season, and so he has already got knowledge of the young attacking player. In what will likely be a fairly congested race for his signature, that existing relationship could well be a useful factor in ensuring that Town could emerge as the #1 option for Adigun as far as his next move is concerned. Even if they don’t land him, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they have at least asked the question. 

I don’t think that Adigun will be short of offers this summer in terms of finding a new suitor going into 2026-27, but I feel that Billericay Town could well be in a good position to land the youngster. They’ve already pushed the boat out to sign three players that finished the 2025-26 campaign with fellow top seven outfits in Odei Martin, George Wind and Louis Lomas, and I think that he is the type of attacking signing the calibre of which could really elevate them as far as being a competitive top-half outfit.

Keon Lewis-Burgess (MK Dons – loan)

One player on this list that will need little in the way of an introduction for Billericay Town fans is youngster Keon Lewis-Burgess. He finished the 2025-26 campaign on loan with Danny Scopes’ side, and going into the 2026-27 campaign I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him end up back in Town colours. 

If I am in MK Dons’ shoes, I would be looking to send him out on loan again next season as realistically he is a long way off being in a position to be able to contribute to the first-team squad. Having done well in the Isthmian League last season, I would be looking to pitch the youngster at a higher level this coming season to go and test himself and so signing for a team that are in the National League South represents a good level for him to go and play football. If he does go to the National League South, re-signing for a manager that he did well under makes a lot of sense. 

While he is predominantly a midfielder, Lewis-Burgess was used as a wing-back for the majority of his loan spell with Billericay Town last term in which Town were able to make use of his pace and running power to give them the transitional threat in the wide areas. I think that he offers Town with a lot of options as to how to make use of him, be it in this makeshift wing-back role or used more centrally where he can provide them with extra mobility and dynamism with the ball progressing it through the thirds. 

Personally, I think that he has real value being used more centrally alongside more of a positionally savvy technician, whereby Lewis-Burgess has the freedom to get about the pitch with his energy and press the opposition. He has the engine and technical quality such that he can then drive the ball forward, and particularly strong when attacking space. Playing as a box-to-box midfielder with the freedom to get forward, I feel that you get the best of his athletic qualities. 

As they make the step up into the National League South, I feel that having a midfielder with that added energy and running to handle the intensity of the division will allow them to be competitive. He has a good volume of work with Billericay Town to fall back on and to build on, and so I feel that re-signing with Danny Scopes for next season would be a sensible option for the youngster. He might only be a squad player to begin with, but I feel that he would be a good addition to the group.

Ruben Bartlett-Antwi (unattached – free)

Billericay Town have retained the services of Macauley Bonne, and will be looking to add a younger option alongside the experienced #9. While having not ripped up trees at the level, one player that I quite like the look of and who I think could be a useful option to have a look at for the level is former Slough Town striker Ruben Bartlett-Antwi. 

Bartlett-Antwi finished the campaign playing his football with Wingate and Finchley, having started the year at fellow National League South side Slough Town. When he signed for The Rebels, he is a player that I had a lot of high hopes for and one that I was expecting to really kick on and take the opportunity of Step Two football, yet for whatever reason he didn’t quite grasp that. That said, I would still retain confidence that he can develop and adjust to the division given that he is still only 22 years of age. Billericay Town need to try and add a younger option alongside Macauley Bonne, and I think that Bartlett-Antwi could represent a nice profile for that. 

In terms of his profile, the youngster is of a big and imposing physical stature, is strong with his back-to-goal and in holding up the ball and has a clever use of his body. Despite his size, he is suitably mobile and a nice turn of pace, and can be used as a secondary striker in making moves in beyond the play. I think that he is most effective when you play him off a target man #9 and so the prospect of signing for Town and playing alongside Macauley Bonne is a good fit for what he needs, and so I think the environment would platform him effectively. 

Despite having not had the best goal-scoring record for the division, Bartlett-Antwi is a strong finisher with an instinctive nature in front of goal to get on the end of things and is a clean ball-striker. He works hard, presses well, technically strong off either feet, and so represents quite a nice well-rounded profile for a striker. He has got the underlying physical attributes that you want in playing up front for a Danny Scopes side in terms of being able to receive the ball into his chest, and I think that if you can get him the right delivery and get service into him then I feel you’ve got a good #9 for the league. 

Personally, I wouldn’t be put off by the fact that he hasn’t overly blossomed in the National League South just yet, as he is still young. He represents a good profile, has done well at a lower level, and under a good manager in Danny Scopes that is strong in terms of man management and in platforming players correctly then I think that he can still have that breakout campaign in him. 

He is definitely not the finished article, but I do think that the youngster has got the raw skillsets such that he can be a useful #9 for the National League South if utilised effectively and in the right system. On a free transfer, I would be looking at the forward as being a worthwhile project to put trust in long-term as being able to kick on and develop into a useful attacking option for Danny Scopes.

Jaiden Celestine-Charles (Millwall – free)

The final player on this list that I think Billericay Town could consider as a potential signing is former Millwall youngster Jaiden Celestine-Charles. Released by The Lions at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, the youngster is now available on a free transfer and I think that he could be a good option for Town. 

As a profile, Celestine-Charles is a physically imposing, well-built, powerful forward that is combative, diligent in trying to win the ball, and makes clever use of his body in shielding the ball. The way that Danny Scopes set up Aveley during their success in the National League South was in playing fairly direct in their approach, and so any striker that Town have at the top end of the pitch has to be fairly tall and effective back-to-goal. They will look to go from back to front fairly quickly, and so having a player of Celestine-Charles’ physical profile would certainly give them an outlet to go long into. 

Despite being a good size, I quite like the fact that Celestine-Charles is fairly mobile and has got a nice turn of pace. He has got a lovely energy about him, and he is always on the move. One attribute that I particularly like about attacking players is having that bit of chaos and unpredictability, and that allows him to always keep defenders guessing. He has tricky movement, direct, 

When I have watched the youngster play at Slough Town, I feel that his most effective work has come playing just off the left-hand side in the half-spaces and in dropping into the #10 positions in which to get on the turn. He is a powerful ball-striker, and has showcased that he can be strong from distance when cutting inside onto his stronger right and getting shots off at goal. If you can get him playing just off the front and facing the goal centrally, I feel that he can be a real threat. 

One of the attractions that I feel there is to signing Celestine-Charles is in him signing under the premise of being a project. As a #1 pick for that #9 berth, I think that the youngster perhaps lacks that refinement and intelligence to his game to lead the line. However, the 21-year-old is the type of player that I feel has got the requisite physical attributes such that if you can coach that extra bit of clarity and composure in his final action then he can be a real handful for the level as something a ‘little bit different’. He is definitely raw and unpolished, but if you can harness that in the right way then he could be a useful attacking option to have in the arsenal to bring on.