Our retained list has been confirmed following the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign.
Four players will sadly be leaving us, while seven have been offered the chance to stay alongside the 14 who remain under contract.
Under contract
- Tiernan Brooks
- Aden Baldwin
- Lucien Mahovo
- Geraldo Bajrami
- Adam Chicksen
- Richard Brindley
- Tobi Adebayo-Rowling
- John Bostock
- Matt Palmer
- Luther Munakandafa
- Sam Austin
- Junior Morias
- Cedwyn Scott
- Macaulay Langstaff
Offered new contract
- Sam Slocombe
- Kyle Cameron
- Connell Rawlinson
- Aaron Nemane
- Jim O’Brien
- Ruben Rodrigues
Loan players offered permanent contract
- Jodi Jones
Released
- Ed Francis
- Frank Vincent
- Kairo Mitchell
Loan deals expiring
- Archie Mair
Our head coach, Luke Williams, said: “As any head coach or manager would tell you, saying goodbye to players is one of the worst parts of the job – and that’s been no different with Ed, Frank and Kairo, who are all fantastic people and professionals.
“Ed trained brilliantly with us every day but he needs to play more minutes. He’s made key contributions when he’s played and has been unfortunate not to have more time on the pitch. He showed his quality on loan at Gateshead and I’m sure he’ll become a key player for his next club.
“Vinny is someone I regard very highly for the way he works day-to-day. The matches are a small part of a long week of work and his incredible personality shines through every day. While his gametime was limited here this season, he had a very successful loan at Aldershot and I believe he’ll be a star player for somebody. I don’t think I can give him what he needs at this stage of his career but I’ll be watching with great interest to see how he progresses.
“Kairo is another terrific guy, who we shouldn’t forget scored some really important goals for us early in the season. I think any striker would have suffered in the wake of Macaulay Langstaff and he didn’t get the minutes he desired. Despite that, he played a big part in what we went on to achieve and will now become the focal point of someone’s team.
“On the players we’d like to keep, I’m delighted that we have offered new contracts to Sam, Connell and Jim – all experienced campaigners whose immeasurable contributions aren't completely visible from the stands.
“They’ve all had brilliant seasons and bring added value in their composure and words to their team-mates. Their natural leadership qualities surface in difficult moments and there have been many times this season when I have left them to share their wisdom with the group. They tow the line and show respect towards me, as I would expect, but I also want them to be able to show their own individual character and personalities. All of them do that in a really powerful way.
“We would also love to keep Kyle, Aaron, Ruben and Jodi, who have all experienced five seasons’ worth of drama in the space of one campaign. We're aiming to retain a core of players who have been through the challenges we have faced together and understand the expectations of playing for this club.
“The players, as many of our supporters will know, are now being given some well-deserved breathing space. It’s important that they decompress – and once they’ve done that, those who are considering contract offers will be in the right frame of mind to evaluate the pros and cons. They’ll also have advice from family, friends and agents, which is really helpful in ensuring they’re able to consider all sides of the argument.
“Once they’ve had the time to go through that process, probably towards the end of next week, we’ll look to meet with them and see where we are.
“If someone has something which potentially changes their life in a huge way, we know that might lead to them leaving us – but if any offers aren’t hugely significant, we feel confident of surviving them because we can offer a package which goes beyond finances.
“We have an incredibly passionate and engaged fanbase, a beautiful playing surface, an iconic stadium, brilliant training facilities and driven staff who are producing fantastic work across all departments.
“These are all things which are exciting and appealing to players, whether they’re at the club already or thinking about joining us.
“Now we know where our destiny lies, work has already begun on recruitment. New information will be coming in on a daily basis but I won’t be involved in that, nor do I want to be. There are far better people than me to deal with it because my life revolves around maximising the performance of the players already in the building.
“Of course, I will be involved in the process at the right moment. I’ll give my opinion but it won’t be final – and, again, I wouldn’t want it to be. The club is more important and bigger than me and needs to function independently from any head coach. Whatever the final decision is on any new player, I’m always happy and motivated to work with them.
“Earlier this week, after the initial celebrations had died down, I returned to the stadium having had my first thoughts about how we can make 2023-24 another brilliant campaign. Alongside those thoughts came a feeling of pressure and expectation, which naturally falls upon me as head coach.
“I was met with the incredibly reassuring and inspirational sight of our office staff still with their foot on the throttle, showing no signs of complacency.
“In football you of course have to take good moments and enjoy them – but you very quickly remember that you have to keep going because bad moments can follow if you don’t.
“I was so happy to witness this hive of activity and to see how everyone connected with the club is united in our shared ambition to drive forward from here.”