Tim O'Shea believes the double signing of Jermaine Wright and Tom Hutchinson means other teams must start taking Croydon Athletic seriously as a club.

Wright has played more than 400 games in the professional leagues but has been out of action since leaving Blackpool last summer, while former Dundee United defender Hutchinson comes from Woking having almost joined Conference full-timers AFC Wimbledon.

"We are not sending a message on the playing side of things," said O'Shea, who saw his team draw 0-0 with Gillingham in a friendly on Saturday.

"The message is more take Croydon seriously as a club now.

"Players do actually want to come and play for us.

"Jermaine lives in the Bromley area and was looking to go into non-league football.

"We are really pleased and it's a really good coup.

"He has come to us for the right reasons, he is a big player who has been in the professional game for more than 20 years and he wants to remain professional so it is a testament to the way this club is being run that he chose us.

"Tom is a massive signing as well.

"He is capable of conference football and we are very fortunate to have another players single us out and come down to play for us for the right reasons."