The 30-year-old insists he is the 20 goals-a-season striker the club has craved since the halcyon days of Jermaine Beckford and Richard Jolly. Stones boss Gordon Bartlett won the race for the experienced target man's signature ahead of several rival Ryman Premier clubs and suitors from the Conference South after Fitzgerald failed to reach a new deal with Hayes & Yeading United.

Their plans to go full-time was detrimental to his job working with a heating and plumbing firm in Ruislip Manor, just a stones-throw from where he will be playing his football next season.

Fitzgerald scored crucial goals in United's promotion to the Blue Square Premier during the 2008/09 season, and finished last campaign as their top scorer with 11 goals despite suffering a knee injury which curtailed his involvement during the latter months.

Now, the Ickenham-based player says he cannot wait to start pre-season training with his new team-mates today (Thursday).

“Wealdstone have good intentions to go for promotion this season and I am hoping I can play my part in helping the club achieve that,” he said.

“The play-offs is the minimum target as Gordon has assembled a very good squad. I do not expect to walk into the side but I am now injury-free and always set myself a minimum target of 20 goals a season. I think I can achieve that with Wealdstone.”

Fitzgerald is Bartlett's third signing in under two weeks following the capture of Chesham United striker Danny Burnell and Oxford City utility player Jon Douglas.

The infectious desire in the Stones camp to ensure the club does not suffer a third successive play-off near-miss has impressed Fitzgerald, who admits he would like to extend his deal if things work out at St George's Stadium.

“I know one of the lads has asked about doing double training sessions on a Saturday, which shows you how serious they are (about promotion),” he added. “I am really hungry to play again and am looking forward to getting back into it.”