Whitehawk will unleash latest signing Matthew Barnes-Homer when they kick-off their Conference south campaign at home to Staines Town today.

The 28-year-old striker put pen to paper with the Hawks late on Thursday evening and goes straight into a much-changed squad for the first game of the season.

Manager Steven King worked with Barnes-Homer at Macclesfield and has been pursuing the striker for much of the summer.

Barnes-Homer first came to the fore at Kidderminster where he scored 35 goals in 100 Football League games after signing from Wycombe Wanderers in 2007.

He joined Luton Town for a fee believed to be £75,000 in 2010 and averaged a goal every three games for the Hatters.

After a stint with Swedish third division side Ostersunds FK, the Dudley-born forward joined Macclesfield for the 2013-14 and is famously remembered for scoring twice as the non-leagers beat Championship leaders Cardiff City 2-1 to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Since leaving Macclesfield, Barnes-Homer has played for Forest Green Rovers and Cambridge United but he was released by the latter at the end of last season following their promotion back to the Football League.

King said: “It is a great signing for us and I didn’t think I would be able to get him.

“He will bring us goals. He scored 28 the season before last with me at Macclesfield. It was his goals which took us through to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

“He is a player who only needs one chance to score. He will give us another dimension.

“Matthew has played at a higher level and is another who is in keeping with the signings we have made this summer.

“He will give us an extra threat. We have been relying on Danny Mills and Jake Robinson but now we have another option.”

Barnes-Homer is Whitehawk’s 11th signing of the summer following the likes of Sergio Torres (Crawley Town), Sam Deering (Cheltenham), Ahmed Abdulla (Barnet) and former Gambia international Pa Saikou Kujabi who played in the Scottish Cup final with Hibernian in 2012.