Tonbridge Angels are delighted to announce that manager Jay Saunders has retained the services of Lewis Gard for the coming season.

Jay and his management team named Lewis as their Player of the Year following his first season at the club.

Lewis signed for the Angels in June of last summer from Southend United, where he had been since the age of eight, after intense competition for his signature and that competition has been no different this summer.

Before leaving Southend last season, Lewis said that he needed to go somewhere and play and he most certainly did that making 44 appearances, scoring four times and achieving the most assists with an impressive 14 in total.

Lewis said of his return to Longmead for a second season: “I’m happy to be here. I’ve always got on with everyone, I was playing nearly every week and that’s what I always wanted to do.”

A naturally delighted Tommy Parkinson added: “We are really pleased that Gardy has chosen to stay with us for next season. Everyone could see his quality last year and how important he was to the team. We feel, at his age, he is only going to get better. So we are delighted to keep him at the club.”