Ask Gloucester City’s Joe Hanks where he prefers to play on the pitch and he has a very straightforward answer.

“Scoring goals,” he said. Press him a bit more and he says: “Further forward rather than back.”

And it’s easy to see why because he has already scored seven goals this season, three of them in the past couple of games.

The 30-year-old is something of a utility player and has featured both as an attacking midfielder and as a centre-forward for new boss Daf Williams.

Those are his favoured positions but last season he played a couple of games at centre-back as the club just missed out on promotion from Southern League Premier Division South and in the past he’s even gone in goal when they’ve had a player sent off.

Hanks in his second spell with the club – he rejoined Gloucester in 2023 – and he’s desperate to see them return to National League North or South.

This is their second season in the Southern League and they are currently second, two points behind Walton & Hersham after winning six and drawing two of their opening nine games.

“We’ve started well but it’s still very early in the season,” said Hanks, who is just under 6ft 2in.

“We started last season well, too, but then fell away a bit. We’re all desperate to go one better than last season.”

Gloucester, under manager Mike Cook, made it through to the end-of-season play-offs but were beaten 1-0 by AFC Totton in the final.

With just two teams promoted, it’s a tough division to get out of but Hanks, who played for Cheltenham Town in the Football League in his younger days, has been impressed by the way new boss Williams has gone about things.

“He’s very detailed in everything he does,” said Hanks. “He wants us to be competitive and we’ve all bought into what he’s trying to do.”

And the free-scoring Hanks is certainly reaping the rewards after a week which saw him score twice in the 3-3 draw at Farnham Town and once in the 2-1 win at home to Basingstoke Town last Saturday.

“The two goals against Farnham were both scored from a tight angle, one with my right foot, one with my left foot,” he said.

“Against Basingstoke, it was a great cross from Harry Emmett, I got on the end of it and was able to slide the ball home.”

A crowd of close to 900 cheered Gloucester home at the Tiger Turf Stadium and Hanks continued:  “The fans have been brilliant, home and away. They travel all over to watch us, Weymouth away, Farnham in midweek. They are always singing.”

And they’ve got a special song for Hanks when he scores a goal.

“Hanksy again, Hanksy again, Hanksy again, olé, olé,” he laughed.

His manager will be hoping to hear that song many more times this season.

Gloucester’s next league game is a week on Saturday at home to Sholing.

They travel to Hartpury, who are managed by Chris Knowles, for an FA Trophy third qualifying round tie tomorrow.

Hartpury are fifth in Division One South of the Southern League after winning the Hellenic League Premier Division title last season.