Key players Tom Mills and Alex Flisher have signed two-year deals to stay at Maidstone United – and boss Jay Saunders feels lucky to have them.

Saunders is surprised other clubs haven’t come in for full-back Mills, 22, and 21-year-old winger Flisher, who have proved a formidable double act over the last three seasons. The duo signed their contracts at training on Thursday night.

Managers Saunders said: “I normally go year by year with Millsy and Flish but I’m bored of talking to them each season! It’s pleasing to have them on two-year deals and it took all of a couple of minutes to agree terms because they love playing for the club.

“Millsy trained with Charlton a couple of years ago but I’m surprised clubs in higher leagues haven’t taken a gamble on them."

Saunders added: “If they’d turned down the contracts and said they were going, I’d really struggle to find two left-sided players of their quality.”

Stones still have an outside chance of reaching the Ryman League Premier Division play-offs ahead of the final game at home to Grays on Saturday.

But Saunders has one eye on next season and will look to add experience to his squad if Stones miss out on promotion.

He said: “I had a good chat with Gordon Bartlett, the Wealdstone manager, on Monday and he was saying they went with youth when they came up and kept missing out on promotion.

“He decided to go with more experience this season and they’ve won the league. It’s something I need to look at but by experience I don’t mean packing the side with 38-year-olds.”