Seth Nana Twumasi says his relationship with Harry Wheeler was strained from day one after leaving Maidstone.

Twumasi took Jay Saunders' exit harder than anyone and found it difficult adapting to life under a new boss.

He suspected Wheeler didn't rate him and knew it was time to move on when centre-back Alex Finney and central midfielder Michael Phillips were picked at right-back ahead of him.

Twumasi, who's joined Maidenhead after two years at the Gallagher, said: "From the first day he came in I felt like the relationship wasn't quite there. It was a little bit strained to me.

"Obviously Jay did a lot for me and it hit me hard when he left so straight away my head wasn't quite right.

"And then when the second game came and I wasn't in the team, I knew maybe he doesn't rate me at all.

"I tried to give it a go as much as I could, to see if things would change.

"Eventually I managed to play three games under him and then Finney was playing and then Mikey and I felt, 'OK, that says it's perhaps time for me to move on.'

"As a right-back you take that to heart because you feel it's your position and he doesn't fancy you, so he's playing other people there.

"I know the other two boys, Finney and Mikey, and how quality they are.

"I was supportive and giving them advice but obviously the manager didn't respect me or rate me that high for him to do that. It was the right time to move on."

Twumasi, 28, was quickly out of favour after Wheeler succeeded Saunders and brought in full-backs Lawrie Wilson and Jack Doyle on loan.

He was back in the team after Wilson returned to Ebbsfleet, with Wheeler praising his performance in the FA Cup win over Orient.

But a mistake against Solihull the following week cost him his place and he didn't start another game.

Twumasi said: "We had a meeting and I was told with Lawrie gone the right-back spot was mine and basically I had to try to keep the shirt.

"I made a mistake against Solihull when I should have cleared the ball and after that I was out of the team.

"You feel like you're always walking on eggshells where you play one game, you do well, you don't play the next game as well as he wants and then you're out the team.

"You're not going to gain momentum like that."

Twumasi, though, bears no grudges against Wheeler and is tipping the 30-year-old to have a big career in management.

He said: "I think he'll go very far. He knows what he wants, he's got his ideas on how he wants to move the club forward, so for me there's no grudges.

"It's part of the game. I've been in the game long enough to know how people work.

"Managers and players come and go.

"I just wish him and Maidstone the very best of luck in everything they do.

"Maidstone will forever be part of my heart. I will always keep an eye out for them.

"I enjoyed my time at the club and I'm grateful to Jay Saunders for bringing me in.

"I respect him a lot and no matter where I am, he will forever be my gaffer."