Captain Simon Russell hoping for new deal with Gainsborough Trinity

The midfielder is currently on furlough and is without a contract for next season.

And with uncertainty surrounding Trinity’s budget for the new campaign, Russell knows he may reluctantly have to look elsewhere.

“I do not want to leave the club,” the former Lincoln man said. “I love it, but in terms of what is going on some players rely on the income from football and cannot afford to take pay cuts.

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“If we can get something sorted it is a no-brainer. I wouldn’t leave Gainsborough, even for more money.

“If Gainsborough continues as they are doing I would not want to leave.

“The manager wants to keep me but the financial situation is not ideal.

“The overriding factor in my personal situation is, not that it is about money, when I have a mortgage and everything like that to pay, it is going to come into it.

“If someone offers you something to stay somewhere and it is nowhere near, that is when it becomes an issue in terms of personal circumstances.

“It is a case of being patient and seeing what happens. Deep down I do not have to leave.”

Trinity recently launched a crowdfunding appeal in a bid to raise £10,000 to offset a loss in matchday revenue.

And Russell, who has been at Trinity for the last six years, feels it all adds to the uncertainty.

“There are uncertainties at the moment in terms of what will happen,” he added.

“The club is in a situation, like with other clubs, of not knowing what things will look like when the season starts.

“There are financial issues with having no income from games and a crowdfunder has been set up. It is a difficult time.

“All players at these levels come to the end of a contract and get other offers. Some are financially more lucrative than where you have been.

“It is swings and roundabouts, you could go somewhere for a bit more money and have a disaster.

“All clubs are in the same situation and don’t know what the budgets will be like next season.

“I think it is going to be a very slow summer and things might change in 6-8 weeks time.”

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