After Jay Alexander, Curtis Burrows and Karl Demidh all confirmed that they were staying at the ADT Stadium for the forthcoming season, manager Lee Attenborough gave his reaction on re-signing those three players.

The gaffer said: “It's great news for the club that we've managed to tie down three very important players that play in the spine of the team. They are players that we are looking to build around and it gives us stability knowing they are here for at least the next season and a platform to hopefully push on.

“All three players have attracted interest from other clubs, many being higher up the pyramid, but the lads believe in what we are doing at Loughborough and want to be a part of it. Jay [Alexander] and Curt [Burrows] have developed a lot over the past season and Karl [Demidh] is a talisman for us so it was vital that we kept them and I'm looking forward to seeing them back out on the pitch with the other lads.

“Curt is an excellent footballer, but with that, he has developed a bit of bite which he needed as a wide player who is now playing a more central role. He is a technician with a range of pass and a great striker of a dead ball, however, his work ethic and desire to win impresses me more than anything else. Even in training Curt sets the standard and hates being on the losing side. He is becoming more of a leader all the time, without being too outspoken - he leads by example on the pitch and I look forward to working with him further and seeing him develop more.

“Jay, for me, is the best keeper in the division - with no disrespect to others. He is still only young but his consistency for his age, playing in a difficult position has surpassed my expectations by far. He's athletic for his size and commanding, an excellent shot stopper and his distribution is superb. The thing with Jay is, he can get even better and if he keeps his focus right over the next couple of years the sky is the limit for him.

“Lastly, Demi. I was checking the stats today and hes played 104 games for this club and scored 59 goals. Even more impressive as for the first 30-40 games he was used more in wide positions. Karl is a handful up front and a striker I needed to keep hold of. He gives his all in every game and is widely respected in the dressing room for his quality and endeavour.

“It is ok at the end of the season thinking 'where can we strengthen? What players are about that we can pick up?' but for me, the most important thing was to try and keep the vast majority of the squad from last season as I know we are not far away from where we want to be. Currently, with the start of the season potentially a distance away, registration forms are not out yet, however, there are already agreements in place with practically all of last seasons squad, so it is hopefully going to be a case of starting where we left off when this past season was cut short.

“The players are at this club for the right reasons and we have created an environment and a dressing room which is better than any I've been involved in. So for me, a big overhaul is not necessary at all, we just need to bring in two or three with the right quality, but more importantly, the right attitudes.

“I will be able to bring more news in due course, but we are optimistic that we will retain the current squad, whilst adding a few who'll improve us and we all look forward to getting back together once it is safe to do so.”