Gavin Hoyte on leaving Maidstone United after five years at the Gallagher Stadium

Club captain Gavin Hoyte had a feeling his time at Maidstone United was coming to an end.

Hoyte, 33, received a guard of honour from team-mates before the Stones’ play-off eliminator against Aveley after it was announced he would be leaving.

It was a special moment for the former Arsenal defender after five years at the Gallagher Stadium, with his family in on the surprise as they followed him on to the pitch.

Hoyte’s final appearance came as a late substitute during Maidstone’s FA Cup fifth-round defeat at Coventry at the end of February.

Even back then he felt he was approaching the end of the road with the Stones.

“I got a bit emotional at the end of that game,” said Hoyte, who joined from Dagenham in the summer of 2019.

“I hadn’t been told at the time but it felt like it was all coming to an end.

“Sometimes you get that feeling as a player that the club is going to start to move on.

“I’m getting older and I need to start looking at other things, another job and things like that.

“I didn’t feel that was going to be my last game but it felt like it would be my last season.”

Hoyte’s departure was confirmed in a meeting with manager George Elokobi, assistant boss Craig Fagan, head of recruitment Zach Foster-Crouch and director of football Bill Williams.

“The gaffer said he wasn’t going to offer me a new contract for next season,” added Hoyte, who intends to play on elsewhere.

“I respected everything he said.

“He said thank you for everything you’ve done for the club but we’re going to go in a new direction.

“I knew myself it was coming so I wasn’t too upset.

“Obviously it was still emotional to hear you’re not going to stay on but I knew myself I probably couldn’t carry on at Maidstone.”

Out of respect for his captain,