Tim touted to follow Rowe out of United

The 20-year-old defender made 18 appearances and scored three crucial goals to help The U’s avoid relegation from the Ryman Premier last season.

It also appears that Tim Olorunda is on his way out of Hastings with the official Tonbridge Angels website stating the midfielder had agreed to re-sign for them. Olorunda’s brother, Ade, is already at Longmead after making the switch at the end of last year.

Hopkinson had still to receive confirmation that Olorunda was going but admitted: “He has had other offers, I can’t afford to pay him what he was on last year.”

The U’s boss revealed that he was having to work with a reduced playing budget compared to the end of last season. “It’s very tight, we lost our main sponsor,” he said. “I know what I’ve got and I’ve got to work with it.”

Hopkinson is hoping to secure the services of several players he has already shaken hands with over the next week or so. Left-sided player Ryan Storrie, who was in and out of the side since joining at the start of the year, has not been retained.

The full article will appear in tomorrow’s Hastings Observer.