Lunt reveals that missed deadline cost Ben Garratt a chance to extend his stay with the club.

Kenny Lunt has reiterated that the football club will not become ‘second choice’ to anyone this summer when it comes to players re-signing for the club.

The club’s assistant manager has stressed that the decision to redraw Ben Garratt’s contract offer came after the goalkeeper missed his deadline to re-sign.

Lunt says that manager David Artell will not give players all summer to decide if they wish to re-sign for the club or not.

The club’s assistant manager said: “It was a hard decision on Ben but he has had a while to sign his contract. It has been there and on the table for a long time and he didn’t sign it for whatever reason.

“As we have said, we don’t want to be second choice to anyone and have our players talking to other clubs before deciding to come back to us.

“Ben had time to sign his contract and didn’t do it before the deadline so the gaffer took it off the table. We wish him all the best and I think he understood where we were coming from.

“It is what it is and it gives an opportunity to Will and Trig to show that they can be the new number one now.”