A STUNNED Paul Turner has been told he is not wanted by St Albans City.

Last season's captain was preparing to thrash out a new deal with the Clarence Park club when Kevin Mudd told him he did not figure in his plans.

The news came as a shock to Turner, who had already had two meetings with Mudd and chairman Lee Harding.

Turner said: 'At the end of the season, it looked as if I would be staying. I had a couple of meetings with the club and everything looked positive.

'But then Kevin seemed to do a complete turnaround and they were not going to offer me a deal, which came as a bit of surprise.

'I wanted to stay, but I'm old enough to realise that if a club doesn't want you, there's no point in staying and swimming against the tide. There is no animosity at all.'

Turner is now on the look-out for a new club and has already spoken to Bedford Town and has also had contact with at least two Conference clubs.

His departure completes a full circle for the player who was City's record signing at £6,000 when he joined from Yeovil Town in the summer of 1997. He was placed on the transfer list by Bob Dowie last season, but was taken off and reinstalled as captain when Mudd took over in January, capping his comeback by becoming the first City skipper to lift the Herts Senior Cup for 31 years.

Turner said: 'Things improved for me towards the end of last season and I was looking forward to next season. I was happy at St Albans, but I've been around long enough to know when it is time to move on.

'There isn't much loyalty around in football, but if another club came in for me and it was on a level playing field, so to speak, I would have stayed at St Albans. Playing for them was always of paramount importance, ahead of the money.

'I see Steve Clark's now left, Robbie Haworth's left and John Pollard has gone, so it looks like the end of an era. I wish Kevin and the club all the best and I will still be looking out to see how they get on.'

Turner was a target for the terrace boo-boys when he first arrived at the club, but eventually won over the fans who have already seen Clark, Haworth, Pollard, Ashley Vickers and Lenny Piper leave in the close-season.

Mudd said: 'I like Paul Turner a lot. He is a smashing lad and did very well for us last season. He has genuine quality.

'But I don't think he will fit in with the way we are looking to go. Our league will be all about hard work next season and I think the game has moved on a lot since when Paul was at the top.'

Turner's departure means Peter Risley is the only member of City's 1998-99 FA Trophy semi-final side still playing for the club.