BOREHAM WOOD manager Luke Garrard admits saying goodbye to long-serving defender Kane Smith is a bittersweet farewell.
The 26-year-old is one of five players leaving Meadow Park this summer, with the talented right-back rumoured to be moving into the Football League.
And Garrard says it's been a pleasure to play a part in the former Hitchin Town man's bright career.
Garrard told the club's website: “Kane Smith, where do I start? What can I say? For me this is perhaps the hardest goodbye.
“Kano has been with us for a long time and it's an end of an era for both him and us. He has been through loads but has, since his arrival, been monumental in all our success.
“He came here as an impressionable boy and now leaves us as a man. He's had some tough injuries to overcome but has always faced them head on with hard work, discipline and with a smile on his face. We all hope he gets all the success that his attitude warrants.”
Also leaving Wood are strikers Scott Boden and Adrian Clifton, along with midfielders Gus Mafuta and James Comely.
Clifton scored vital goals in their remarkable FA Cup run as they beat AFC Wimbledon and Bournemouth to reach the fifth round where they took on Everton.
Clifton featured in a TV programme ‘Footballers Behind Bars' when he was younger, which led to meeting Ian Wright who helped him turn his life around.
Garrard said: “His story being retold by his mentor Ian Wright during our FA Cup run was one of the highlights of the club's year.
“Cliff is a true gentleman and is respected by everyone for the journey he's been on, and we wish him all the best wherever his future takes him.”
