Double player-of-the-year Jordan Higgs leaves Tonbridge Angels | Boss Jay Saunders awaiting answers from other players

Double player-of-the-year Jordan Higgs has left Tonbridge after receiving an offer of full-time football.

Higgs was offered a new deal at Longmead after an impressive campaign which saw him named both supporters’ player and players’ player-of-the-year.

The former Dover man also scored the goal-of-the-season, a thumping volley against Maidstone on Boxing Day.

Angels boss Jay Saunders said: “I’m gutted to lose Higgo but he’s been offered an opportunity to go full-time elsewhere and that’s something I can’t offer him.

“He’s decided to move on and I wish him all the best.”

Tonbridge have also offered terms to Lewis Gard, Jamie Fielding, Ryan Hanson and Tariq Hinds.

Saunders wants them to stay but needs answers sooner rather than later as he works on his squad for next season.

He said: “We’ve made them offers but those offers won’t be there forever because we’re speaking to other players.

“We want these lads to stay but we’ve got a limit on what we can go to.

“They were made offers the week after the season finished, so they’ve had them for a couple of weeks and they’ve kind of been made aware that if others become available that I think are worth taking, we’ll do that.”

Generally it’s a slow market at this time of year with few deals announced in National League South.

Saunders added: “We’ve got targets and we’re talking to plenty.

“But, to be honest, the only sides really making announcements are the ones with the bigger budgets.

“At the moment, players aren’t sure whether to commit, so the only way you’ll get them to is by offering them the bigger wages. That’s what we’re seeing at the moment.

“The rest of it will be a bit slow and that’s how we’re finding it.

“We’ve had some positive meetings but nothing over the line.”

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