The level may be different but the task remains the same for new Ramsgate goalkeeper Tom Hadler.

At 26, Hadler raised a few eyebrows by dropping into Isthmian South East with the Rams following his release by Maidstone United.

A year earlier, the former Gillingham man had been part of the tightest defence in the division as United won the National League South title.

But he barely featured as they suffered an immediate relegation and, after making the decision to go part-time, Rams were the perfect fit.

The ambitious Thanet club made it worth his while, with the move also giving him an opportunity to take a day job running the Pro Soccer Academy’s facility in Rainham.

It works for Hadler who, regardless of the level, knows a keeper’s role doesn’t change.

“It makes so much sense to be part of the most ambitious club at the level, that allows me to build up a career away from playing, so I thought, why not do that?” said Hadler, who signed a two-year deal at Southwood.

“I know Ben Foster (ex-Man Utd keeper, now at Wrexham) said about it, picking a Premier League goalie out and putting them in the National League, it doesn’t change your job. You still have to do the same thing.

“The pace of the game is a little bit different the lower you go but essentially the job is the same and the ambition is the same.

“You want to go and win and concede as few goals as possible, so it is a very similar thing.

“In my mind it’s reverting and trying to go again and get that success back after our lovely season at Maidstone before a disappointing year last year.

“It’s that positive spin on everything and a bit of ambition. It’s nice to be part of that.”

Ramsgate were pipped to the title by Chatham last year before losing on penalties to Hythe in the play-off semi-finals.

They’re hoping to go one better under new boss Ben Smith, making high-profile signings such as Lee Martin, Nathan Green and Hadler’s ex-Stones team-mate, Joe Ellul.

Ramsgate will be many people’s title favourites but Hadler warned: “No league is easy.

“Whatever team you put together, you have to gel and you have to go out there and perform consistently.

“We’re certainly not going to take anything for granted, just because we’ve got some good players.

“We’ve got to make sure we have a good togetherness.

“It’s started nicely. Everyone seems to be getting on well and there’s a real buzz about the place, but you have to turn that into a season’s worth of results.

“We’re under no illusions that we need to work and graft as a team to get the results when it comes to August, but it’s exciting.

“I’m looking at it, and the side we’ve got, and I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing the fixtures when they come out. It’s nice to have that buzz after what was a very disappointing year at Maidstone.

“You put it behind you and look forward to finding those successful times again. I’m not one to dwell on the past.

“It happened and it was what it was for everyone involved in the club. We all have to move on and move forward.”

Hadler’s move to Ramsgate saw him keep his word to sign for Smith.

They’ve known each other for years, going back to Smith’s days as a trainee teacher at Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury, where Hadler was a student.

The goalkeeper faced Smith’s teams in youth football and a link-up was inevitable.

“He followed my route into professional football,” said Hadler, who joined Gillingham as a youngster, making his Football League debut in a game against Blackpool.

“We always stayed in touch through football, so I’d bump into him and he’d always say you will play for me at some point and promised him I would.

“It got to the point, before I went to Maidstone, he was trying to get me at Herne Bay and the time wasn’t right, I wanted to test myself at Maidstone.

“This last year, finishing my degree, I was looking to go a different route, into more of a career and working out what I’m going to do, and then he was like, what do you reckon?

“I had a chat with him and the chairman and they sold me what they were up to and made it very appealing in terms of the incentive to go.”

Ramsgate host Faversham in a pre-season friendly today (3pm).