Jay Saunders says former Maidstone centre-half Kevin Lokko has been poorly advised.

Lokko left United for League 2 Stevenage last Tuesday but by Friday he was back in the National League, sent to Dagenham on a season-long loan.

Stones boss Saunders felt Lokko could have earned a bigger move than Boro by staying at the Gallagher for another season but the defender wanted to take what he thought would be a chance to play in the Football League.

Saunders said: "It’s disappointing. I think Kev’s been advised slightly poorly.

"We were good for him, he was good for us.

"He’s a young kid, they get agents, they get advised and these clubs do what they do.

"There’s obviously something gone on but there wasn’t a lot we could do, Stevenage met the fee for him and that was it.

"I won’t hammer Kev because he’s a young lad who’s just doing what he’s told.

"He wants to be a pro, he wants to play in the Football league and he felt Stevenage was the right move for him.

"I felt he could have got a better club.

"I think if he’d held on and had another season with us, I think he could have got a better move but he didn’t want to."

Maidstone looked into taking Lokko back on loan during transfer negotiations but were told he was part of Boro's plans.

Saunders said: "We asked Stevenage when they came in - and to be honest, they weren’t great in dealing with us - and I just felt they could have loaned him back for a month or two when we enquired and they said no, they wanted him involved in the squad.

"To then go and loan him out is poor but nothing surprises me in football."