Experienced defender Michael Nelson has been confirmed as a Barnet player, as the Times Series revealed on Tuesday, and is relishing working with Martin Allen again.

The 35-year-old Gateshead-born centre-back, who has been with the Bees throughout pre-season, has signed a one-year contract at The Hive and following Saturday’s 2-0 win at Eastleigh, head coach Allen confirmed the deal.

Nelson made 33 appearances for League Two side Cambridge United last term after joining from Hibernian in the early weeks of the season.

And speaking for the first time as a Barnet player, Nelson said he was pleased to have finally been reunited with Allen after the pair first met at Portsmouth in the mid-90s.

He said: “It is brilliant [to have joined]. It has been a while in the coming but it has been nice being down here with the boys for pre-season from the start. They have made me feel quite welcome and I have settled in well.

“Yeah, [I am] definitely [settled in]. I worked with Martin (Allen) when I was younger at Portsmouth but not this closely in a first-team set-up. I knew a little bit what he was like and his characteristics but it is nice to be in from the start with the boys and everyone is just raring to go now.”

He continued: “When I first joined Portsmouth Martin was a player and then he was doing the reserves when I had an extended youth contract.

“I enjoyed my time down there and our paths have always crossed - when he was at Brentford and I was at Hartlepool and stuff like that - so it is nice to finally get the chance to work with him.

“[He has been] brilliant and the boys have really got stuck into all the hard work in the first couple of weeks and I think that has really told in the way we have got through the games quite well and looked quite strong towards the end of the games,” he reasoned.

Nelson becomes Barnet’s seventh signing of the summer and after committing to the cause for the 2015/16 campaign took to Twitter to reveal his delight.