Eastbourne Borough are excited to announce the signing of Lucas Defise from fellow National League South side Dartford.

The 22-year-old midfielder is a welcome addition at Priory Lane and is available for tomorrow’s FA Trophy tie at Hendon.

He said: “The manager called me and said the club were interested.

“I’ve heard from a few people that this is a club with a lot of ambition and I want to play my part.

“I want to show what I can do, play to the best of my ability and enjoy football.”

A playmaker in the middle of the park, Defise is a former Belgium Under-17 international with three caps to his name.

After starting at AFC Wimbledon and Chelsea, he made the move to Southampton in the summer of 2018.

I want to show what I can do, play to the best of my ability and enjoy football…

There, he progressed through to the Under 21’s at St. Marys before leaving to return to his native Belgium in 2021.

Lucas then joined Union Saint-Gilloise Under 21’s and spent a season on loan playing for Helmond Sport in the Dutch Eerste Divisie, before returning and making the step up to Under 23 level for the Belgian champions last season.

He left Union this summer, and after a short spell at Dartford joins us at Priory Lane.

Boss Mark Beard said: “When you look at the clips we’ve seen of him, he’s cool, he’s calm and composed on the ball. He gets stuck in but goes about his work quietly.

“We’ve seen already he has the ability to just glide across the pitch and is a very good technician in midfield.”

Welcome, Lucas!