Morecambe hand new deals to SIX players as retained list is released

Carlos Mendes Gomes, Alex Kenyon, Steven Old, Cole Stockton, Aaron Wildig and Jordan Slew have all been offered new one-year contracts.

The club has also taken up the option clause in Toumani Diagouraga’s contract for a further 12 months.

Leaving the club are Barry Roche, Kevin Ellison, Adam Buxton, Andrew Tutte, Ritchie Sutton, Tom Brewitt, Michael Howard, Rhys Oates, Lamin Jagne and Kyle Hawley.

Ellison had been widely tipped to depart, having failed to figure since the New Year’s Day defeat at Bradford City – his seventh appearance since Adams replaced Jim Bentley in charge at the Globe Arena.

Buxton and Tutte had previously been told in January that they were free to find new clubs, the former having ended the season on loan at York City.

Sutton played nine times under Adams, the last of those at Northampton Town in mid-January, while Brewitt had made 15 appearances for Adams with 10 of those being starts.

Of the others, Jagne and Oates have previously had long-term injuries while youngsters Howard and Hawley were on the fringes and had spent time away from the club on loan.

Adams said: “We have offered six players new deals and taken the option up on Toumani Diagouraga as we look to get the squad together to be ready for next season whenever that starts.

“We have released a number of players and it is always a difficult thing to do.

“I would like to thank all those players for what they have done for Morecambe Football Club in their time with us and I wish them well for the future.”

Roche has also been released but that could pave the way for him to become the club’s goalkeeping coach, a position he originally took on following Adams’ arrival last November.

Loanees Ryan Cooney, Adam Phillips, Harvey Bradbury, Christoffer Mafoumbi and Shaun Miller have all returned to their parent clubs.

Sam Lavelle, A-Jay Leitch-Smith, Jordan Cranston, Luke Conlan, Mark Halstead and John O’Sullivan were already under contract with the club.