STRIKER Trevor Benjamin and centre-back John McCombe have not been offered new contracts by Hereford United for next season.

The pair made significant contributions to the Bulls’ promotion season but both will now be looking for new clubs.

Goalkeeper Ryan Esson and youngsters Marcus Palmer and Jordan Fitzpatrick have also been told they are surplus to requirements while another goalkeeper, Mike Ingham, has already joined up with York City.

Boss Graham Turner has offered new deals to Trent McClenahan, Richard Rose, Sam Gwynne, Jack McLeod, Simon Johnson and Dean Beckwith.

Six players - Steve Guinan, Ben Smith, Karl Broadhurst, Clint Easton, Kris Taylor and Craig Jones - are already under contract for next season. For Benjamin, the decision not te renew his contract means that he is now free to continue his remarkable football odyssey.

The Kettering-born former Jamaica international holds the all-time record for having the highest number of Football League clubs in England.

United were Benjamin’s 16th League club but he has been on loan at 11 of those clubs.

Benjamin, 29, said: “I loved my time at Hereford - I felt very settled and very much at home. It’s disappointing having been released - but it happens in football. The players are still ringing each other but, once you have been released, you have to get on with it.

“As a squad we expected the unexpected and the promotion was well deserved. We played well and believed we could get promoted. The promotion celebrations at the end of the season were great and, for half of the players, something like that will never happen again.” Benjamin also paid tribute to the Hereford supporters.

“I want to thank the fans who have been brilliant and the backroom staff who do a lot of work behind the scenes and don’t always get enough credit.” He added: “I am just about to go on holiday. I have a few things lined up but, at the moment, I don’t know what will happen next season.” Benjamin scored 11 goals in 43 appearances, while McCombe, who turned in a number of fine displays in mid-season, scored once in his 29 appearances for the Bulls.