Luke Robinson is relishing the opportunity to test himself at a higher level and help new club Horsham fulfil their promotion aspirations.

Having opted to leave Staines Town at the end of the Isthmian League South Central Division campaign, the 22-year-old secured a switch to the Isthmian League Premier Division outfit, one level up, in the seventh tier of the English football pyramid.

Robinson revealed the move was put into motion before his return to Bermuda as part of the recent World Cup qualifying campaign, with his promising first outing on the international stage only further convincing his new club to push through the deal.

“I’m delighted to sign for Horsham and make the step up a division,” said the winger, who was voted Staines Town’s Supporters’ Player of the Season. “I actually trained with the club at the end of last season and a week before I returned to Bermuda.

“I knew there was a good chance of a deal being offered and it was more a case of agreeing terms and organising a few bits. My performances with Bermuda obviously helped and they also helped me in terms of negotiation.

“It’s a new challenge for me now and I’m really excited to test myself at this higher level. There is a really strong standard in this division with a lot of former professionals and so I’m hoping I can push on and pick up where I left off last season.

“The club has some brilliant facilities and there is a strong squad here. I know the lads are confident of challenging for promotion and the club have made that intention clear.

“That was all I needed to hear, really, and it made it an easy decision to come here and sign for the club.”

Robinson is confident that the chance to feature at a higher level domestically will further enhance his opportunities at international level.

He was handed his first Bermuda cap in a 6-0 defeat away at Surinam in World Cup qualifying at the beginning of June, with his performances during the campaign enough to convince head coach Kyle Lightbourne to include him in the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers a month later.

Robinson featured in the emphatic 8-1 victory over Barbados in the preliminary first round but was an unused substitute as Bermuda were eliminated by Haiti in 4-1 second-round defeat.

“This move will hopefully help me feature more with the national side,” he added. “I’d like to think I performed well with Bermuda and that was promising for me moving forward.

“Kyle [Lightbourne] has already wished me well on my move to Horsham and so hopefully he’ll be keeping an eye on me.

“If I can get a good full season under my belt, which I haven't’ had the opportunity to do in recent seasons because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury and Covid affecting campaigns, I’m confident I can perform even better.

“I’ve set myself some personal targets for the upcoming season, but the main priority is to win games, help the team push for promotion and keep featuring with the national team.”