FELIXSTOWE & Walton United manager Kevin Witchalls has expressed his disappointment after goalkeeper Liam Jones quit the club.

The former Needham Market goalkeeper has decided to join Debenham LC, rather than staying with the Seasiders for the 2011/12 season.

Jones, who joined Felixstowe in December 2010, missed a large chunk of last season after breaking his right leg and only returned between the posts in the latter stages as the Seasiders retained their Ridgeons League Premier Division status.

Felixstowe boss Witchalls said: “It is disappointing, but he said he has had an offer from elsewhere which was too good to turn down.

“I have now got the unenviable task of trying to replace him before the start of the season. We have already had discussions with a couple of goalkeepers, but that’s as far as it goes at the moment.”

Jones fractured his fibula in the opening minute of Felixstowe’s FA Vase match away to St Neots Town at the start of October – a tie Felixstowe lost 11-0 without him – and was ruled out until March as the Seasiders battled against relegation.

He had been expected to remain at the Goldstar Ground for the coming campaign, and the Seasiders now face a race against time to sign a keeper before the season starts on August 13.

Defender George McCullum and striker Matt Mackenzie are both off to university in September, and not expected to figure much, if at all, in the first team this season.

In addition to signing Debenham LC striker Jamie Cole and Ben Cranfield re-signing, Witchalls said he had signed on three youngsters ahead of the new season.

They are 17-year-old central midfielder Seth Duzgan, who was with Ipswich Town as a schoolboy and last season was at Whitton United, Dan Galley, a left-sided midifelder who left the West Suffolk College football scheme after his first year, and Sam Taylor, a winger who was with SIL side Wickham Market last season.