AFC Sudbury players Joe Whight, Billy Holland, Emmanuel Machaya and Luca Collins among those agreeing pay cuts to stay with the Yellows for 2021/22 season
Mark Morsley is delighted with the way AFC Sudbury’s players have responded to the tighter budget restrictions he is now working within.
Captain Joe Whight, experienced midfielder Billy Holland, exciting winger Emmanuel Machaya and goalkeeper Luca Collins were among the players whose deals at King’s Marsh were due to expire this summer.
But we can reveal all four have agreed to take pay cuts to stay with the Yellows, to the delight of manager Morsley.
And there is further good news with right-back Ellis Girling, who was brought back to the club last summer, committing to stay along with soon-to-graduate academy scholars James Askew (goalkeeper), Sam Cooke (central midfielder) and Luke Hipkin (wide midfielder).
All the aforementioned players will be signing one-year contracts, with the club having offered two or three-year deals prior to the pandemic.
“Joe (Whight) and Billy (Holland) are my lieutenants,” said Morsley. “Them two and Daryl Coakley, they were key players for me at Needham and have shown incredible loyalty to me.
“They came over and with all the changes in perspective at Sudbury, with (using) the youngsters they have brought into that and been a great part of it.
“Here we are in a situation where everyone is having to take stock of their earnings and what they can and can’t be paid and these guys have stayed loyal to not just to me but loyal to Sudbury.
“There isn’t a great deal of non-league players who spend five seasons at one football club.
“I mentioned very much how I was galvanised (to stay) by Tony (Kinsella, head coach), Liam (Aves first-team coach) and Walks (Paul Walker, goakeeper coach) and I have to say the conversations I have been having with the players since the decision on the budget has been fantastic.
“I just can’t praise them enough because we have always backed each other and listen, them two could walk in any team at our level or the level above.”
He was also delighted to get commitment from two players that joined part-way through the abandoned season to remain.
Of Machaya, a wide attacking player signed in October from higher-league Brightlingsea Regent who previously shone on dual registration from Bury Town at Long Melford, he said: “I think he is one of the most exciting players I have worked with, I have to say.
“The importance of having wingers in the team in the preferred style I like to play is immense.
“We like to make the pitch big and play with flair and Manny ticks that box.
“He was talking to clubs at Step 2 but he had been at Bury a couple of years ago, he had been at Brightlingsea and he just wanted to find a home and a manager who trusted in him.
“I’m really pleased he felt we were that club, it is tremendous.”
Former academy goalkeeper Collins’ enthusiasm to return to initially cover Paul Walker’s injury absence has now seen him handed the number one shirt. As reported last week, Walker has retired to focus on being the permanent goalkeeper coach.
“It would be completely remiss of me to not give him the opportunity to be the number one, bearing in mind the commitment he made to us six months ago,” said Morsley.
“On the flip-side he needs to be pressurised for the place and we need a second choice goalkeeper and James Askew is so well thought of in the academy.
“He has got incredible drive and ability and we will have those two goalkeepers in our building. At the moment Luca holds the number one shirt and it’s for him to keep and for James to take away.”
Morsley, who is waiting to hear back on deals offered to academy attacking players Josh Ambrose and Alfie Adams, says he continues to see a lot of his father in Ellis Girling.
“Brett Girling (Sudbury and Leiston) was in my best 11 players I chose,” he said. “And Ellis has got a real chance.
“Liam Bennett (fellow right-back) took all the headlines but Ellis played a lot of football in those teams but also interestingly, like his dad, although he is little he is very good in the air and he played very well at centre-half.”
He is also delighted to have agreements from academy duo Cooke and Hipkin.
“Sam Cooke is probably the best passer of the ball out of the academy that I’ve seen,” he said.
“Luke is one of those go-to players in the academy that always gets picked to play somewhere.
“He is a little guy who is quick and as hard as nails. I believe he is going to do a third year at the academy and he is a good lad. We are very fortunate.”
Ben Hunter and Joe Grimwood have also been offered deals to stay at the club.
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