2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Horsham

Player Decisions

Retain

James Hammond, Charlie Hester-Cook, Isaac Philpot, Danny Barker, Greg Luer, Jack Brivio, Shamir Fenelon, Kai Innocent, Lewis Carey, Reece Meekums, Jack Bates

Release

Sami El-Abd, Lee Harding, Jake Elliott, Jack Strange, Lucas Rodrigues, Lucas Pattenden, Rhys Murphy, Harvey Sparks

Loan End

Leone Gravata, Ricky Aguiar, Shiloh Remy, Soul Kader, Aston Ellard, Lewis Gould

Retained Squad

New Signings

Junior Robinson (West Ham United – free)

The first position in which I think Horsham may look to strengthen during the summer is at full-back. I feel The Hornets could benefit from adding a younger profile in the backline, and so one player I’d look at is West Ham United’s Junior Robinson.

Robinson comes off the back of a loan spell at Boreham Wood in the National League, albeit hasn’t been a regular pick for Luke Garrard’s side. Highly-rated in Hammers circles, the youngster has been capped at youth level internationally for England, and in his third loan spell having played for Sutton United and Livingston prior to a move to Boreham Wood. 

In terms of his profile, Robinson is very much an attacking, modern-day full-back. Athletic. Quick. Capable of defending large spaces. Technically strong and comfortable playing out. An energetic player that has got a great engine to get up and down, the athleticism to cover ground utilises those physical attributes effectively in carrying the ball forward. 

The youngster is out of contract with The Hammers at the end of the campaign, and I think that he may well be a target on a permanent basis. It is difficult to pick a level at which to pitch him for that move, but if he wants the added luxury of regular minutes then dropping down into the National League South may well be a credible pathway for him to go and play his football.

Corey Panter (Dagenham and Redbridge – free)

Horsham have had one of the smaller squads in the National League South this season, and so with any business that Dom Di Paola does during the summer I think that he will quietly be looking for some players who provide versatility and are able to play in a number of different roles. A dual-purpose player. 

One player that ticks that box and may be available is Corey Panter. A versatile left-sided defender. Capable of playing as a centre-back or full-back. Formerly of Luton Town and Eastleigh. The 25-year-old has perhaps had an underwhelming campaign given The Daggers’ overall struggles, but Panter is a player that I have always been quite the fan of and I feel he would still represent a good option for a side looking to be competitive in the sixth tier. 

In terms of his profile, Panter is quick, comfortable on the ball and aggressive in his defending. When he was at Weymouth, we saw those trademark elegant carries out from defence and into midfield. 

Dagenham and Redbridge are set for an overhaul of their side and so I am expecting quite a few departures, with Panter being one of those. I wouldn’t let one season ultimately define what he is all about, and I think that under a good coach in Dom Di Paola and a back four that I feel is better-suited to him then he has got some lovely attributes to work with.

Dan Quick (Crystal Palace – free)

While Eastbourne Borough have been relegated from the National League South in 2025-26, I still maintain that they have some talented players. There will be some that get another opportunity by way of a move elsewhere to go and prove what they are capable of, and one of those that I wouldn’t be surprised to see remain at Step Two is young defender Dan Quick.

Quick has spent time on loan at Dorking Wanderers previously, and so it wouldn’t surprise me if he did end up at Horsham in the event he remains at Step Two. The Wanderers and The Hornets have got a good relationship and sign a lot of players from the same talent pool, and so he will surely be one that has at some point been on Dom Di Paola’s radar. They play a very similar style to Dorking Wanderers in terms of wanting to play attacking football, and I think Quick could be a good fit for that. 

The youngster has progressed out of a strong academy at Crystal Palace, and so I am confident that he has been well-coached and with a good technical grounding. He is the type of player who has perhaps lost his way a little bit having signed for Eastbourne Borough and been in a struggling side, but in a more functional set-up then I feel that there is definitely a talented player there with some really coachable attributes. 

He is another player that would provide real advantage to the overall balance of this Horsham squad in terms of durability. He is a centre-back predominantly, but can play anywhere across the backline. He is a good athlete, comfortable on the ball, and fairly quick across the ground. 

Steve King will no doubt be eager to try and put his stamp on the Eastbourne Borough team and so he will likely not stand in the way of any players who do want to move on to pastures new. If that is the case, Horsham may be able to get Dan Quick on a free. He is still only 23 years of age, had a season of development at the level, and I think he could represent an exciting project for Di Paola to work with.

Josh Brooking (Aldershot Town – free)

The second centre-back that I have picked out for Horsham to sign is one that I would definitely file under a ‘gamble’ by way of his recent injury record, but one that – if they can keep fit – I think would be a good capture is Josh Brooking.

I would be a bit hesitant to simply label him as injury prone given that his last two clubs – Dorking Wanderers and Aldershot Town – are both notoriously poor when it comes to the injury department, and so I think that at a new club and in a different environment and with better medical support then he may well be able to play a more active part than he has done in the last two seasons. 

In terms of his technical ability, I think that most would agree that he is actually beyond the National League South if it weren’t for those injuries, and so this is potentially a situation whereby The Hornets are able to utilise that advantage and the fact that he may be seen as a low-stock or problematic player to get a player who has got a huge amount of ability. 

He is a ball-playing defender at heart. Capable of stepping out into midfield and picking out his passes. The speed and mobility to defend wide spaces. An intelligent footballer with a good technical grounding having come through the academy at Chelsea. Fairly agile. Horsham have very little in the way of responsibility on their defenders to provide that initial quality in the build-up, and so signing a player of Josh Brooking’s profile may allow them to be slightly more adventurous in their approach. Take greater risk. 

John Coleman has already made it clear that he is going to make a lot of changes during the summer in overhauling his squad, and so Josh Brooking – having not featured regularly for The Shots this term – is one that will certainly be allowed to leave. If he is going to get another deal, I think that he may have to drop down into the National League South in order to get that. If that is the case, Horsham may be in a good position to secure his services.

Noor Husin (Southend United – free)

When I have watched Horsham, one thing that I feel they could benefit from is more of a powerhouse in the centre of the park. They have some good technicians and players that work hard, but in terms of that engine to get about the pitch I do think that they could find value in recruiting that profile of midfielder. 

One player who I would be intrigued to see if they could tempt out of Southend United during the summer is Noor Husin. The Blues are well-stocked in the middle of the park with the options that they got at their disposal – Appiah-Forson, Chambers-Parillon, Austin, Morton and Miley – and so Husin may well feel that there is an opportunity for him to go and get regular football somewhere if the right offer came. 

While I have not always associated him with being the most technically gifted in terms of ball-progression or press-resistant qualities against the ball, one thing that I feel is very much his trademark is his athleticism. A great engine. A box-to-box midfielder that can progress the ball from deep with the use of his frame, and the energy to get about the pitch and win turnovers. 

Alongside the likes of Charlie Hester-Cook and James Hammond that they have currently got, I think that a player of Husin’s profile could be hugely advantageous. He gives them an ability to be slightly more adventurous with their attacking play given that he is strong at covering space, and the physicality to relish playing away from home. It would be a coup given that he would be coming from the National League, but I think that if The Hornets are to push for the top seven next term then it may need one of those high-profile signings to help them.

Sam Sene-Richardson (Chatham Town – fee)

I am always an advocate for clubs looking to sign players from lower in the league pyramid, and one player who I am fully expecting will step up during the summer – potentially higher – is youngster Sam Sene-Richardson. 

Given how highly he is rated at Chatham Town and the number of eyes that have been on him this term, Sene-Richardson may well be looking for an opportunity to pitch himself in the shop window higher than the National League South. However, in terms of going somewhere that he can realistically get a good volume of minutes I think that joining Horsham could be a nice ‘next step’ for him. 

The youngster is a #10 by trade. An intelligent, skilful and intricate pocket player that has got an infectious energy and dynamism in possession. Good late runs. The ball-carrying quality to break the lines and drive to goal. The intelligence to pick up the half-spaces and get on the turn. Technically strong. Creative. A delicate weight of pass. Physically, I think there is some development to do, but he is a real livewire and an effective presser. 

I could quite foresee a situation whereby Sene-Richardson perhaps signs for a side in the EFL and then is loaned out back into non-league to continue his development, and so while I have picked him to sign on a free transfer it wouldn’t surprise me if he joined on loan. Regardless, having taken Step Three by storm and impressing for Chatham Town I think an opportunity to play at Step Two would be a logical next step for the youngster to go and play his football.

Leone Gravata (York City – free)

One player that Horsham will be likely looking to bring back to the club on a permanent basis in the close season – and one that I am expecting will re-join Dom Di Paola’s side – is Leone Gravata. 

On loan at Horsham from York City and seemingly surplus to requirements, the expectation is that Gravata will be let go on a free transfer by The Minstermen in the summer. If that is the case, I think that Horsham will be making a serious case to position themselves at the front of the queue for his signature. 

Crucially, I feel that Gravata is the type of player that they need to sign. When I have watched Horsham throughout 2025-26, I think that they benefit from having some pace and trickery in the final third of the pitch. Gravata is a good athlete, with pace, power, effective in transition with his running power and is direct in wanting to get on the ball and take the game to the opposition. 

One thing that Gravata also provides for The Hornets is that little more craft and dynamism. He injects an energy and unpredictability which I think can be hugely effective if platformed correctly. The 24-year-old has impressed me during his spell with Horsham. A definite project for Di Paola given that he has – I feel – a bit of work to do given that he hasn’t got the best output to his name despite his quality, and so he will be looking to refine that end product and final action. However, he is a player that I like the look of when I’ve seen him, and I think he’d make for a sensible addition for The Hornets.

Henry Rylah (Charlton Athletic – free)

Charlton Athletic have had success this term in sending their young players out on loan to get game time, with a number of successes. One player who I think could well benefit from finding an opportunity to go and get himself in and around a first-team environment on a weekly basis for the sake of their development is Henry Rylah. 

The youngster has made a couple of appearances in the first-team for The Addicks, and spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Irish side Derry City. Aside from that, his exposure to first-team football has been fairly limited. 

As part of a renewed effort to inject some energy and mobility into the Horsham forward line, Rylah is a good stylistic fit for that given his speed, trickery and dynamism. Always looking to play forward. Get on the ball and drive to goal. The quick feet and agile movement to carry the ball. He utilises his slight frame in picking up clever pockets in the half-spaces in which to work half a yard to get a shot off, and has composure under pressure to get the ball out of his feet. 

One of the benefits that The Hornets would get in signing a player like Henry Rylah is that he is capable of playing in a number of different roles. Capable of playing anywhere down the right-hand side be it as a winger or a full-back, in what I am expecting to be a fairly small Horsham squad with an emphasis on quality over quantity then signing a player of Rylah’s adaptability would be incredibly useful. He can be your more traditional winger in keeping the width, isolating defenders and using his speed to attack space. Equally, he can be that powerful operator arriving from deep in more of a defensive capacity as a wing-back. 

He is a talented young player and someone that I feel would provide a slightly different profile to what Horsham have currently got at their disposal. The Addicks are very selective in who they loan their young players to, but I’d be positioning myself near the front of the queue if I were Dom Di Paola.

Luke Norris (Boreham Wood – free)

The Hornets have assembled a squad that is full of experience, and I think that Dom Di Paola will again look to strengthen the group with experience of the division during the summer. One player that I am expecting will be available to sign on a free transfer is experienced front man Luke Norris. 

Matt Rush has been in sparkling form for Boreham Wood at the top end of the pitch, and as such Norris has found his game time fairly limited throughout the season. If I was a betting man, I’d say that the likelihood is that Norris will depart the club at the end of the season. If that is the case, I think he could represent a useful option to consider for The Hornets. 

As a player, Norris is a penalty box #9. Physically strong. Good at bringing others into play and linking the game. A reference that is good at occupying defenders, fairly proficient in the air, and the type that will provide that aggression and platform in the forward line to play off. If they keep a more intelligent and nippy customer in Greg Luer and add a player of Harry Bridle’s youth, I think that having that experienced option in the attack to play off will be hugely advantageous. 

Looking at The Hornets this term, having that big #9 is perhaps something which they have lacked. That central figure. A focal point. The nous and knowhow of knowing where the ball is going to drop. The forward is now 32 years of age, and so he may well be interested in the offer to drop down a level and play regularly. 

He has been part of a number of sides that have had success at a higher level, and so he would definitely contribute to reinforcing the leadership group. He is a good professional, a strong work-rate, a selfless team player and someone that brings that little bit more intelligence in the final third. If they could get him, I think that it would be a smart piece of business.

Harry Bridle (Gillingham – loan)

The final player that I feel Horsham could look at signing is youngster Harry Bridle. Personally, I think that he needs to go and test himself to a higher level to that which he’s played in 2025-26. 

He has certainly not ripped up trees with Whitehawk this season – having only scored a total of 7 goals with Whitehawk this season – but I do feel that he has got some nice attributes that could contribute to the Horsham front line. I think that they could do with that younger, more athletic, high-energy, pressing #9 to go alongside the experience that Horsham have in their group, and so a player of Bridle’s profile could well be an interesting pick for The Hornets. 

In terms of his profile, Bridle is a hard-working striker that has got an infectious energy and willingness to run the channels. The athleticism to press the ball. Always looking to play on the shoulder of the opposition and use his pace in behind. Rides challenges fairly well. Fairly industrious in his work bringing others into play, and a little bit unpolished as you’d expect for a young striker learning his craft. 

Bridle finished the campaign with Whitehawk in the Isthmian Premier League, and so I feel that joining The Hornets in the National League South would represent a credible next step for him in his development.