UPDATE: Chairman's confidence in new Peterborough United signings

Non-league gems Ricky Miller (28) and Danny Lloyd (25) have joined Posh, on three-year deals, after falling out of contract at Dover Athletic and Stockport County respectively.

Local man Miller bagged 42 National League goals last season, while Lloyd contributed 29 goals and 19 assists in over 50 appearances for a National North League club.

They are both making big steps up in standard, but MacAnthony believes he may have found non-league players to compare with the likes of previous signings from that level including George Boyd and Lee Tomlin.

“I don’t care where new players come from,” MacAnthony stated. “As long as they have hunger, desire, a winning mentality and technical ability I’m proud to sign them.

“We fell four wins short of the play-offs last season and a lack of goals from the strikers and midfield players was part of the problem.

“The aim is to make that gap up and to add excitement to the squad and we have done that.

“Danny is versatile. He can play wide, off a front man and behind a front two so he’s an excellent addition.

“Ricky is a goal-scorer. He converts a large percentage of his chances and he is great at penalties which is nice!

“I want at least one of our players to challenge for the Golden Boot in League One next season.”

Tom Nichols top scored for Posh last season with 10 League One goals, and 13 in total.

Lloyd, Miller and striker Junior Morias, who signed from non-league St Albans in January, have all been given special fitness programmes for the close season. Only Miller had previously played full-time football before joining Posh and that was a brief spell with Luton Town.

The arrival of Lloyd in particular is bound to lead to speculation regarding last season’s star attacker Marcus Maddison.

Maddison is about to enter the last year of his existing Posh contract which means he was automatically placed on the transfer list.

He’s unlikely to agree a new deal, but Posh are determined not to sell him for the sake of it.

In private data ordered by Posh, Maddison was high in the League One charts for goal-assists, shots on target, shots hitting the woodwork and a combined goal/assists tally.

Maddison is understood to want a move to the Championship, but Posh are prepared to let the 23-year-old run his contract down rather than sell him at a reduced rate.

He’s scored 20 goals in 124 appearances for Posh since transferring from Gateshead in August 2014.