Omar Beckles has left St Albans City to join Aldershot Town.

The 23-year-old joined the Saints from Hornchurch in November 2014 and went on to make 25 appearances and scored two goals last season.

Beckles played in two trial games last week for the National League outfit, against Hampton and Richmond Borough and Cardiff City’s U21 side, and impressed enough to earn a one-year deal.

The Shots’ manager, Barry Smith, told the club’s official site: “Omar comes with a good pedigree and he’s impressed in the two games that he’s played. He’s young enough to learn and get better, and he’ll definitely get that chance here. He wants to play at a higher level and he’s come to Aldershot Town to progress under myself and Chris, and I’m sure he’ll do that.”

Beckles added: “I feel like I’ve settled in well, the lads have made me feel comfortable. I’m dedicated and enthusiastic and I want to push on. I’ve been out of the full-time game for a while and I’m hungry to kick on. The manager’s philosophy definitely suits me and although I’ve been born and bred as a centre-back I can also fill in in other positions.

“There’s a bit of expectation here but you’ve got nothing to live up to without it. When you’ve got such enthusiastic lads that all have the desire to push on to a higher level, that is only going to spur us on,” continued Omar, who already holds his UEFA B Licence coaching badge. “Where I’ve been part-time previously, I’ve been able to invest my time in coaching. It’s something I’ve always been enthusiastic about but that broader understanding of the game has also helped me as a player.”