POOLE Town manager Tom Killick has had his fair share of excuses from players missing pre-season – but he admits one of his squad going on ITV2 hit show Love Island is definitely a “new one”.

The Dolphins boss said his phone became inundated with messages on Thursday night after it was revealed midfielder Marvin Brooks had been selected to appear on the reality TV programme.

And while he said his squad would “dine out” on the stick the 29-year-old would receive from entering the villa, he wished him all the best.

Killick revealed he did not know anything about Brooks potentially missing all of pre-season until learning he had been pictured on the show.

He told the Daily Echo: “I found out basically from the group chat of the players! They were all saying Marv was going on Love Island and I thought ‘what is this all about?!’

“From then on my phone started going a little bit crazy.

“I spoke to Calvin his brother about it and he said Marvin was told if it got out, he wouldn’t be allowed to go on. He had to keep it very close to his chest.

“I have had to deal with a few different scenarios in terms of players going away and missing things but this is a new one.

“I saw about half an episode a week ago and a couple of series ago I watched one episode. I know what it is but I am not a proper follower.

“I don’t really know how it works, all I know is there is a lot of people walking around who are quite pleased with themselves. I don’t see an awful lot of point to the whole thing other than that!

“But it’s each to their own. Marvin has invested a lot of time and effort into looking the way he does and good luck to him. I hope it goes really well.

“Unfortunately, with football at our level, I have to really accept that it has to take a bit of a back seat until the process has been concluded.”

Southern League South outfit Poole kick off their pre-season schedule with friendlies against Swanage and Merley Cobham Sports on Friday, July 12.

Brooks, who helped Dolphins claim the Southern League Premier Division title in 2016, is one of 12 new contestants to appear on the show – where the winners could receive a £50,000 cash prize.

The Dolphins star will enter during the Casa Amor twist, in which the new boys will join the established girls. Six new girls will also join the boys already on the show.

Killick added: “The players will be able to dine out on this in terms of the stick Marvin is going to get for quite a while to come!

“He could be £50,000 richer as I understand it.

“A fair bit may get forgiven if he buys a few rounds at the bar – knowing Marvin, that probably won’t happen either.

“First of all, I think he has got to get himself picked to get into the main show if you like and then it can be very fluctuating as to how long he is in there. He’s a personal trainer by trade, so I’d imagine the exposure this could give him would be beneficial to him in terms of a professional basis. From my point of view, I hope he gets something out of it on a personal level and also some benefits in terms of the publicity it brings.”

Should Brooks progress to reach the latter stages of the show, he could be competing for the cash prize alongside undefeated boxer Tommy Fury – brother of heavyweight star Tyson Fury.

Asked whether he would advise his midfielder to stay away from disrupting the couple Fury is in, Killick replied: “Marvin is not renowned for his fighting skills. I think there would only be one winner if anything like that happened – Marvin would go and hide under his bed!

“But when you get to know Marvin he is a top lad. I have had him with me a long time and I have a real affection for him.”