Young midfielder relishing responsibility at hometown club
Riley Court says a more liberated remit in midfield is allowing him to bring the best of last season into the new campaign for Maidstone United. The 20-year-old has started the season strongly, scoring twice in four National League South matches and producing eye-catching performances that have underlined his importance to the team.
Court, who came through the Chelsea academy and made his Stones debut aged 17, was a central figure in Maidstone’s 2025/26 campaign. He emerged as a regular in the side under former manager George Elokobi, collecting both the players’ player and supporters’ player of the year awards and registering the first senior hat-trick of his career.
That form has continued under Craig Fagan, the club’s former assistant who was appointed manager in May. Court says Fagan’s experience as an attacker and his hands-on coaching have been influential, but it is the tactical freedom he has been given that has changed his game this season.
“I feel like I’ve got a bit more freedom this season. I can stand in the pocket, receive on the half-turn, save my legs and then drive at people,” Court said.
In recent matches he has shown the stamina and dynamism to justify that freedom: in the win at Folkestone he covered 12.7 kilometres and earned the man-of-the-match award. He also supplied the decisive goal in the 3-2 victory at Dorking last weekend, illustrating his influence at both ends of the creative spectrum.
How the role has changed for Court
Court occupied the No.10 shirt vacated by John Gilbert after his summer move to Aldershot. The change of personnel, combined with Fagan’s encouragement, has given Court licence to operate in pockets of space and pick his moments to surge forward.
- Age and background: 20 years old; former Chelsea academy scholar.
- Recent form: Two goals in four National League South appearances this season.
- Key moments: First senior hat-trick last season; part of the FA Cup fourth-round tie win at Ipswich in 2024.
The transition from promising youngster to near-automatic selection has been swift. Court’s performances last season — and late-season momentum from December to April — set the foundations for his current role, and he has been determined to extend that progress into the new campaign.
Implications for Maidstone United
For Maidstone supporters, Court’s emergence provides a home-grown creative outlet at a time when the club has seen summer changes in personnel and management. That continuity of youth development feeding the first team is significant for the club’s identity and its ambitions in the National League South.
Fagan’s appointment in May brought someone familiar with the squad into the top job, and his previous work alongside Elokobi appears to have smoothed the managerial succession. Players such as Court, who had benefited from coaching under both men, are now being asked to do more in key positions.
| Statistic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | 20 |
| Goals this season | 2 in 4 National League South games |
| Distance covered (Folkestone) | 12.7 km |
While it is early in the campaign, Court’s all-round contributions — goals, work-rate and creativity — have given Maidstone a focal point in attack. If he continues on this trajectory, he will not only boost the club’s results but also strengthen the sense that local talent can thrive at Gallagher Stadium and beyond.
The coming weeks will show whether Court can maintain his output and how Fagan chooses to build the side around the young No.10. For now, supporters have reason to be optimistic as one of their own takes on an increasingly central role.
