EASTLEIGH boss Martin Allen has made back-to-back signings in preparation for his first league game in charge at Southport on Saturday.

After bringing in 18-year-old defender/midfielder Hakeem Odoffin on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, he has today swooped for defender Gavin Hoyte, 26, on a free transfer from his old club Barnet.

Hoyte, a full Trinidad & Tobago international who came through the ranks at Arsenal, has joined the Spitfires on an 18-month contract.

During his time with the Gunners he had loan spells at Watford, Brighton, Lincoln and AFC Wimbledon before joining Dagenham & Redbridge in 2012.

In 2014 he signed for Gillingham, leaving them after one full season to team up with Allen at Barnet. He is approaching 200 first-team appearances across England's top-four divisions.

Hoyte tweeted: "Exciting times ahead at @EastleighFC cant wait to get started #spitfires."

Former Reading and Tottenham youngster Odoffin is no stranger to Allen either. The Eastleigh boss signed him for Barnet and helped him back up the footballing ladder.

Odoffin made his Bees debut, aged 17, in an FA Cup second round tie at home to Newport County last December.

Come January, he got his move to Wolves for an undisclosed fee. He has impressed for the Championship club’s under-21s with his marauding runs from right-back.

Odoffin has signed for the Spitfires for a month and, crucially, will be available for Eastleigh’s FA Cup third round tie at Brentford on January 7.

Allen said: “I had Hakeem at Barnet. He was on trial there and I signed him.

“He did really well and, within a year, he was sold to Wolves.

“He’s a young, fit, athletic lad with a great attitude and good pace.

“He can play right-back, centre-back, right midfield or central midfield."

With Hoyte, Odoffin and Ben Strevens new in and Bondz N'Gala, Ross Stearn and goalkeeper Scott Brown back available, Allen will be spoilt for choice at Southport compared to the small squad he had for Tuesday's 2-0 FA Cup win at Halifax.

“We’ve got no fresh injuries and I’ll have several more players to choose from,” he said.

"We barely managed to get 15 players for Halifax."

Asked if his side would be buoyed by their midweek exploits, he said: "The result should give us a lot of confidence.

“There were good parts of the performance. Keeping a clean sheet in the second-half on a Tuesday night in Halifax was very good.

“But there are certain parts of our game that need improving if we are going to go anywhere this season.

“We’ve done a lot on the training pitch, but I still think we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Eastleigh are 11th in the Vanarama National League, nine points adrift of fifth-placed Barrow.

They have not played in the league since their November 29 defeat at Maidstone, Ronnie Moore’s last game in charge.

Southport, hovering one point above the relegation zone, ended a win-less five-game run by beating Farsley Celtic 4-0 in the FA Trophy last weekend.