Lee Burns admitted his family had to come first when he accepted the lucrative overseas work deal which has seen him walk away from Princes Park.

The 32-year-old full-back will be out of the country for the next six weeks, meaning he won’t play for the Darts again this season.

Burns is keen to pull on the white shirt again next season but he knows his footballing future is in the hands of Dartford manager Tony Burman.

He said: "I’d love to come back because this club is a home from home for me but it’s up to Tone and what he wants to do.

"I didn’t want to miss any of the season but I had to think of my family. This is something I can’t not do.

"There’s my age to consider as well. If I was a 22-year-old lad, I’d want to continue my football but I’m not getting any younger. I’m 33 in July and I’ve got to think about the future and other ways of earning money."

Burns told Burman of his situation three weeks ago, when the contracts for his overseas job had been signed.

He said: "I had an idea (before that) but I didn’t want to let Tone know until I had it in writing.

"I didn’t want him to make a decision on something else, bring a loanee in and then tell him I wasn’t going after all.

"Tone’s our manager but his door's always open and I think of him as a friend as well.

"He’s easy to talk to and he’s approachable, so it’s not something I worried about."

Read the full interview in the Dartford Messenger.