Club captain Lee Worgan says Maidstone players must look at themselves following Jay Saunders’ exit.

Keeper Worgan was shocked to receive a phone call from Saunders on Tuesday afternoon informing him of his departure.

He said: “I think it's taken everyone by surprise. Everyone's going to be feeling their own way about it.

“For me personally it's very disappointing. I've had some brilliant years with Jay as manager. I didn't see it coming. I'm gutted.

“I thanked him from the bottom of my heart for everything he's done for me as a player and what a fantastic person he's been in my life.

“He brought me to the club, we've had a lot of success together and I'm gutted for him on a personal level and also on a professional level.

“When a manager leaves seven games into the season every player will look at themselves.

“I don't feel it's a lack of effort, I don't feel it's through anything other than individual errors costing us.

“We’re all partly to blame and Jay’s been the fall guy.

“It's frustrating because we started this season with a new take on it, a young squad, an energetic squad and it was always going to take some time to build and get those patterns going and make our mark.

“Jay spoke to all the boys – he wanted to do it himself.

“They were in shock but it's a results business and as players we all need to look at ourselves.

“The owners are only doing what they think is right for the club.

“They've invested a lot of money and it's their project as much everyone else's. We’ve got to respect their decision and get on with it."

Worgan believes Maidstone could easily be sitting in the National League play-off places this season.

But, instead, they're 19th after seven games and Saunders is out of work just two months after rejecting an offer from League 2 Macclesfield.

Worgan said: “It's crazy because very marginal details have not quite gone our way in the last two games and a decision's been made.

“You think of Shamir Mullings’ disallowed goal at Maidenhead on Saturday. That would have been 3-1, you get the points there and you take that into the Boreham Wood game.

“We could all be sat here in the play-off places and everything’s rosy.

“It's difficult for me because he’s a good friend and I still believe he'll be a fantastic manager wherever he goes in the future.

“It's hard to put into words but football can be quite a volatile world.

“I can see him getting another opportunity somewhere.

“He had an offer of a job in League 2 and two months later he's gone.

"It's a strange world we live in. It's going to be a tough few days.

“It cuts me deeper because I've been here the longest. I wish him well and I'll still speak to him a lot.

"I hope he gets the job he deserves.”