Maidstone United have released defender Manny Parry.

The big centre-half made 46 appearances after signing from Grays last summer, helping the club to promotion via the National South play-offs.

He became a crowd favourite as Stones went more than 10 hours without conceding a league goal, and had held talks with boss Jay Saunders over a new deal.

But the situation changed following the arrival of Kevin Lokko from Welling.

Saunders said: "It was a really tough decision to let Manny go.

"I spoke to him when the season finished about a new deal.

"I was kind of going down the route of keeping him but I felt we needed a little bit more experience at the back for the National League.

"We brought in Lokko as a left-sided centre-half, which I felt was important, and he's someone who played 40-odd games at that level last season.

"It might be one that comes back to bite me on the backside but you have to make decisions.

"I said to Manny he needs to carry on playing and I couldn't see it happening week in, week out next season.

"When we signed him last summer I never expected him to play as many games as he did.

"The more he plays, the more he'll improve, and I just felt going up a level it would be tougher for him to get games with us."