Maidstone manager Jay Saunders has signed a new one-year contract at the Gallagher Stadium.

Co-owners Oliver Ash and Terry Casey want their long-serving boss in charge next season - even if United are relegated from the National League.

Saunders, who celebrates six years in charge next month, said: “I bumped into Terry at the ground the other day and he said we want you here next year, no matter what happens, and that was that.

Scroll down for Stones TV video

“It’s nice to hear when we’ve had a season like we’ve had.

“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past, football is a results business so in the back of your mind you wonder what’s going on. It puts my mind at rest and lets me get on with my job.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it but I suppose the reason you wonder is because since I’ve been here, other than the first 10 games, we’ve been winning stuff every year and all of a sudden it’s the other way.

“You like to think what you’ve achieved in the past is good enough to stick with you and, like I said, I feel I’ve improved as a manager but you just never know.”

United made the contract announcement via a Stones TV video released this morning.

Mr Casey said: “It certainly hasn’t been a sentimental decision. This is a hard-nosed business decision.

“Because we’re going to go full-time next year, whoever’s in charge would need to plan for that because everybody’s version of full-time is different.

“Nobody will know better what we need to do next year than Jay because if we’re in this league he’s learnt an awful lot and we have at this level.

“And if, God forbid, the R-word - relegation - hits us then Jay will be the best person to take us back up again.”

Mr Ash said: “We’ve had four or five tremendous seasons at the club, full of success, and one of the key ingredients of all that is Jay Saunders and his team.

“This season has been much more challenging, we’ve all made mistakes at times, we’ve learnt a lot and I think there’s still an awful lot to learn.

“But with Jay we know we’ve got somebody who’s extremely competent. He’s got integrity, he’s honest and we enjoy working with him.

“He and his family are really a part of the club, they’re part of the town."