BRIGHTLINGSEA Regent midfielder Ollie Canfer has joined Ryman League rivals AFC Sudbury.
The ex-Hadleigh United playmaker was keen to find a side closer to his Stowmarket home and also had an offer from Bury Town.
He eventually plumped for Sudbury and while disappointed to lose one of his star players, Regent boss James Webster said Canfer was leaving with the best wishes of all at North Road.
“Ollie was fantastic for us, created some moments of genius and scored some wonderful goals,” he said.
“He’s also a great lad who never gave us any trouble and he’s handled this situation like a real professional.
“He told us exactly what was happening and was up front about why he wanted to leave, so it was all completely amicable.
“He’s not left us because he was unhappy, for financial reasons or because he thinks it’s a better opportunity at Sudbury.
“It was purely down to logistics as he lives in Stowmarket.
“I can’t argue with that, would thank him for his contribution and wish him well next season.”
Regent had an exceptional first term in division one north and finished sixth, only just missing out on the play-offs.
Unsurprisingly, as a result, there have been plenty of inquiries from other clubs about their players.
“There’s been a lot of interest and it’s been a tough couple of weeks in that respect,” said Webster.
“I knew that was going to be the case and guess that’s the negative effect of having such a good season and individuals doing so well.
“I’d never stand in a player’s way if it was a great opportunity, but the offers that have come in would have been sideways moves or, in some cases, a step down.
“Thankfully, pretty much all my players have now committed to the club for next season.
“Ricky Griggs has signed a year-long contract and we should be able to confirm that three more have put pen to paper by the end of this week.
“We’re just waiting for the paperwork to be completed.”
Regent will be hoping to find some more raw talent when they host two trial nights this week.
A session for under-21s is taking place tonight, with tomorrow night being for under-18s.
“We’ve had a lot of interest in these nights already,” said Webster.
“Hopefully some talented lads will come along and we’ll unearth some stars of the future.”

Source: Matt Plummer