Maidstone United to release injured winger Joan Luque | Spaniard 'gutted' at decision and says 'life is often brutal'

Joan Luque has been told his time at Maidstone is up.

The Spanish winger, 30, will leave the Gallagher Stadium when his contract expires in May after learning he doesn’t feature in new boss George Elokobi’s plans.

Crowd favourite Luque starred as Maidstone won National League South last season, scoring 22 goals and laying on plenty more before suffering a serious knee injury at Dartford in April.

His form for Hakan Hayrettin’s side saw him voted National South player-of-the-year.

Luque hasn’t played this season while he recovers from injury and Elokobi has decided against keeping him on.

“I’m absolutely gutted to share the news that the management team have informed me that I’m not in their plans for next season, meaning I’ll be a free agent from May,” said Luque in a statement on Twitter.

He added: “It’s not how I imagined my story with Maidstone will finish, as I pictured and imagined myself coming on at the Gallagher again so many times during my injury rehab, but life’s like this, unexpected and often brutal.”

Luque said he would be “forever grateful to that group of players and management for what we achieved last season” and thanked the club for looking after him following his injury.

He also hailed the “love and passion” of Stones fans who he regularly joined on the terraces.

Paying tribute to supporters, he said: “You can’t imagine how much you’ve helped me since I was one more of you in the stands away and home, especially last year, and this year always asking me and showing me how much you want to see me playing again.

"Maidstone will always be a club I’ll love because of the special fans and I will be a Maidstone supporter for a life.”