GRAVESEND & Northfleet manager Andy Ford has praised the loyalty of Francis Duku in wanting to stay at the club, despite being tempted with better offers from elsewhere.

The 24-year-old centre-back and the Fleet’s Players’ Player of the Year committed himself to the side by signing a new one-year contract which keeps him at Stonebridge Road until the end of next season.

Duku put pen to paper after rejecting the advances of two unnamed clubs with Ford confessing that it had been a hard decision for the player.

“In these situations you look at yourself and wonder what you would have done as a player,” said Ford. “Francis faced what I can only describe as a very, very hard decision.

“In signing up for another year, he has given another example of the outstanding camaraderie that exists at the club. “That shows it’s not all about money. We pay what we can afford and that’s the bottom line in all our negotiations.

“Francis wants to play for us and to play in the Nationwide Conference, so we’re delighted.” Duku is presently in Vietnam on tour with the Middlesex Wanderers.

Ford remains in contract negotiations with other players about extending their existing agreements but declined to name those involved. He is also hoping to sign three more players to strengthen a squad already bolstered by the arrival of Aldershot’s Mark Bentley and Jimmy Strouts from Dover.

The Fleet boss concedes he will be without Nottingham University student and striker Simon Parker for most of next season and is anxious to compensate.