Craig Parker has left relegated AFC Sudbury with a heavy heart after admitting the team hit a downward spiral they could not reverse.

The 30-year-old attacking midfielder has elected to join King’s Lynn Town in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division, a move away from Suffolk, following spells with Sudbury and, before that, Bury Town, Leiston and Needham Market.

Norwich-born Parker, said: “It was a difficult decision to leave Sudbury, I love the club, the board, playing for the management and the relationship with the fans.

“It was an opportunity though to play at step three which was a big draw and King’s Lynn are a big club who get 600-odd people watch them.

“I am 30 now and I want to play the last few years I have left as a footballer at the highest level possible.”

Having made a solid, if unspectacular start to life in the Isthmian Premier last season, Jamie Godbold’s men only managed to pick up just 17 points post-Christmas, as the winter blues set in.

“Ultimately, you finish where you deserve to be, but we should have done a bit better,” Parker added.

“It’s hard to put your finger on what went wrong, but after Christmas we went on a downward spiral and no matter how many different things we tried to do, we could not get ourselves out of it.

“Momentum can take you forward but it can also take you in the wrong direction too, and it is difficult to stop.”

Having decided to join the Linnetts, Parker will play the next stage of his footballing career under well-respected manager, Ian Culverhouse, who worked as Paul Lambert’s assistant at Colchester United, Norwich City and Aston Villa.

“He (Culverhouse) was in the Premier League a couple of seasons ago and he wants to win promotion with King’s Lynn,” Parker explained.

Meanwhile, Sudbury have continued their rebuilding programme for next season, bringing in Maldon & Tiptree trio Joe Claridge, Rhys Henry and Adam Mills, Brightlingsea Regent midfield man Jake Turner and Angolan striker Lheureux Menga, who finished last season with Harrow Borough.