N emotional Anthony Church confessed it was a privilege to play for Boston United after confirming he has played his final game for the club.
The popular midfielder has reluctantly turned down a contract offer to extend his York Street career into a third season.
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Anthony Church 1
USING HIS HEAD: Anthony Church has confirmed he will not be signing a contract to stay at Boston United. The midfielder is seeking to gain employment in the banking sector after leaving university.
Church has almost completed his studies at Loughborough University and insists it would be almost impossible to remain at the part-time Pilgrims while forging a career outside the game.
The 23-year-old, who studied economics, business and finance at Loughborough, is keen to find a job in the banking sector near his native London.
Free agent Church says he is yet to receive an approach from a full-time club and therefore is scouting for a non-league club in the south, ideally in Blue Square South or above.
"I was considering staying at university for another year and doing a Masters which would have allowed me stay up here, but I don't think I would have benefited from that," said Church.
"I had an offer to stay at Boston and it was a good offer, but it's not about that.
"After finishing university, it's just not possible for me to stay up here.
"Even if we'd have gone up to the Conference, I'm not sure if the club would have gone full-time so I probably would have been in the same boat, having to look for somewhere else.
"It might have been different if I was a teenager, but I'm 23 and have to look at a career outside football too. I'm a very ambitious person in everything I do.
"I've told the managers (Jason Lee and Lee Canoville) and the chairman (David Newton). They've been absolutely first-class."
Church admits he leaves York Street with a heavy heart after a success-filled two years, which has seen United win promotion from the UniBond League and reach the Blue Square Bet North play-offs.
The former Ilkeston middleman has been hugely influential during both campaigns. He scored the extra-time winner in the UniBond League play-off final at Bradford Park Avenue 12 months ago and found the net in the dramatic play-off semi-final defeat to Guiseley last month.
"It's hard to leave because the last two years have been absolutely brilliant. It's been a privilege to play for the club, it really has," he added.
"It's special club at this level. You don't find many clubs in non-league who take 500 fans to away games and have 1,500 fans, and more, at home games."
Church's departures marks something of an end of an era at York Street. Defender Kieran Murphy is in the same boat as Church, having also completed his studies at Loughborough.
Highly-rated centre-back Shaun Pearson also looks destined to leave for the professional ranks.
"Leaving this group of players behind will be hard," admitted Church.
"A few of us played together at Ilkeston so it's been three years, which is a long time in football.
"But even the lads who came in towards the end of last season have been made to feel so welcome.
"A lot of us are from different backgrounds, but we've all mixed so well. There are no cliques. We get on so well and only recently a load of us went for a night out at York races.
"I've made friends who I will keep for life.
"You will struggle to recreate what we had at another club.
"If you could bottle it up and sell it, you'd be a rich man."
The Pilgrims have added another friendly to their pre-season programme.
Blue Square Bet Premier outfit Mansfield will visit York Street on Saturday, July 30 (3pm).
The Stags are managed by Paul Cox, who was interviewed for the Boston job before Lee and Canoville were handed the reins on a permanent basis.
