Merthyr Town have signed teenage left-back Cameron Pring on loan from Championship club Bristol City.
The 19-year-old former Cheltenham Town youth player, who has signed a contract extension with City, is from Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire and had a spell on loan at Guernsey FC last season.
Pring goes straight into the Martyrs squad for their opening Evo-Stik Southern League fixture, at home against Hitchin Town at the Loadlok Community Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
Manager Gavin Williams has also added Miles John and Lewis Baldwin to his Merthyr squad.
Wales junior international John is a former Bristol City youth, Bath City, Chippenham Town, Cinderford Town and Port Talbot Town player who has also played for Napier City Rovers and Canterbury United in New Zealand.
Defender Lewis Baldwin had a long spell with Cardiff City’s Academy and he joins other former Bluebirds in the Martyrs squad.
They include senior players Stuart Fleetwood and Curtis McDonald plus 22-year-old Jaye Bowen and Robbie Patten, a 20-year-old who spent more than 10 years with Cardiff’s Academy.
Robbie, the brother of Merthyr’s Kyle Patten, is a tenacious, competitive central midfield competitor who spent more than 10 years with Cardiff’s Academy. The former Wales under-19 international was tipped for a strong future with the Championship club, but suffered a broken leg three years ago.
He has, though, made a strong recovery and worked hard to regain full fitness.
Manager Williams and his team take on Hitchin in their opening game. The rivals clashed in the final game of 2016-17, a Premier Division play-off semi-final, when Merthyr were edged out after a penalty shootout.
Both clubs have been victims of their own success, seeing key players move on. Striker Kayne McLaggon moved on from Merthyr to join home-town club Barry Town United, newly promoted to the Welsh Premier, Scott Barrow (to National League Gateshead) and playmaker Keyon Reffell, who accepted a lucrative offer from Southern League rivals Hereford AFC.
Highly-rated goalkeeper Oliver Davies also moved on, to Hereford and then Yeovil, and that left Williams with a major headache, but the former Swansea City man made a welcome return to the Martyrs and will start against Hitchin.
Defender Curtis McDonald and centre-forward Ryan Prosser are both ruled out of the opening match by injuries, but skipper Ashley Evans looks certain to be fit.
The arrival of prolific striker Fleetwood and Merthyr Tydfil-born Kerry Morgan have been major plusses for Williams.
Hitchin, too, have injury worries and are currently monitoring Connor Roberts, Connor Vincent, Liam Brookes and Jay Dowie.
Hitchin Town manager Mark Burke says: “It’s going to extremely difficult. I think this season could be the toughest yet.
“You look at the likes of Weymouth, Kettering, Farnborough, Hereford, Slough, Gosport, Bishop’s Stortford, King’s Lynn. It’s an attractive league.
“Our first match is at Merthyr and they’ll be looking to avenge their play-off defeat against us last season.
“It’s always a tough place to go as they’re a good footballing team so it’s going to be tough.
“I look at the league and there aren’t any weak teams. We’ve been in the play-offs for the last few seasons, but for me if we can get a top-10 finish I’ll be happy.
“We’ve lost a few players but I’m hopeful the recruits we’ve brought in will be as good.”
Webley’s bar will be closed for Saturday’s match due to a private function, but Romans will be open for spectators. The brand new programme will also be on sale for £2 just past the main turnstiles.
Merthyr Town squad 2017-18
1 Oliver Davies
2 Adam Davies
3 Cameron Pring
4 Scott Tancock
5 Jarrad Wright
6 Curtis McDonald
7 Lewis Baldwin
8 Miles John
9 Ben Watkins
10 Kyle Patten
11 Robbie Patten
12 Ashley Evans
13 Matthew Harris
14 Eliot Richards
15 Jaye Bowen
16 Kyle Copp
17 Ian Traylor
18 Kerry Morgan
19 Stuart Fleetwood
20 Corey Jenkins
21 Ryan Prosser
Merthyr Town FC fixtures
Southern League Premier Division
August
Saturday 12 v Hitchin Town H
Tuesday 15 v Stratford Town A
Saturday 19 v Dunstable Town A
Saturday 26 v Farnborough H
Mon Aug 28 v Hereford A
September
Saturday 9 v Bishops Stortford H
Tuesday 12 v Basingstoke Town A
Saturday 23 v Royston Town H
Tuesday 26 v Tiverton Town H
Saturday 30 v St Ives Town A
October
Saturday 7 v Kettering Town A
Tuesday 10 v Slough Town H
Saturday 14 v Gosport Borough H
Tuesday 17 v Weymouth A
Saturday 21 v Hitchin Town A
Tuesday 24 v Stratford Town H
Saturday 28 v Taunton Town or Totton (away, FA Trophy)
November
Saturday 4 v Redditch United A
Saturday 11 v Banbury United H
Tuesday 14 v Basingstoke Town H
Saturday 18 v Chesham United A
Saturday 25 v Dorchester Town H
Tuesday 28 v Tiverton Town A
December
Saturday 2 v Biggleswade Town H
Saturday 9 v St Neots Town A
Saturday 16 v Kings Langley A
Saturday 23 v King’s Lynn Town H
Tuesday 26 v Hereford H
January
Monday 1 v Frome Town A
Saturday 6 v Dunstable Town H
Saturday 13 v Farnborough A
Saturday 20 v Kettering Town H
Saturday 27 v Slough Town A
February
Saturday 3 v Weymouth H
Saturday 10 v Gosport Borough A
Saturday 17 v St Ives Town H
Saturday 24 v Royston Town A
March
Saturday 3 v Chesham United H
Saturday 10 v Dorchester Town A
Saturday 17 v St Neots Town H
Saturday 24 v Biggleswade Town A
Saturday 31 v Bishops Stortford A
April
Monday 2 v Frome Town H
Saturday 7 v King’s Lynn Town A
Saturday 14 v Kings Langley H
Saturday 21 v Banbury United A
Saturday 28 v Redditch United H