Updated: YORK City senior quartet Mark Robinson, Simon Rusk, Steven Hogg and Christian Smith are among six players to be released by the Blue Square Premier strugglers.

First-year pros Liam Shepherd and Josh Radcliffe have also been allowed to leave KitKat Crescent.

They join New Queensland Fury-bound Daniel McBreen out of the exit door, while Ben Purkiss and Josh Mimms have both been offered new deals and the Minstermen have exercised their options to retain the services of top scorer Richard Brodie and Andy McWilliams.

Onome Sodje, meanwhile, has been given a 12-month contract due to an agreement made prior to manager Martin Foyle’s arrival that will be honoured by the board.

That means, should Purkiss and Mimms accept their terms, City will have 13 of last season’s squad signed up for the new campaign, with David McGurk, Daniel Parslow, Michael Ingham, Adam Boyes, Adam Smith, Craig Farrell, Simon Russell and Ben Wilkinson already under contract until the summer of 2010.

On-loan midfielder Levi Mackin has returned to Wrexham, where he will wait to see whether he is handed a new deal before City chief Foyle comments on his future.

Winger Simon Brown is also back at the Racecourse Ground and is contracted to the Welsh club for another year.

Mark Greaves and Shaun Pejic are not part of Foyle’s retained list, but the door has yet to be shut on them either.

Youth team striker Michael Emmerson, meanwhile, is the only second-year scholar to be offered professional terms, with Jonathon McDonald, Joe Knowlson and Callam Brown having all been released.

Foyle declined to comment on the reasons behind releasing individual players, but added: “They were all hard decisions in their own little ways whether they are young lads, experienced pros or someone who’s got potential but has had a lot of injuries.”

Of the players Foyle hopes to retain, the City boss revealed that Purkiss has been offered improved terms, adding: “Ben’s contract is a lot better than what he was on because it’s important to reward him.

“Hopefully, he will sign it but he has 28 days to mull it over, which can be a little frustrating. Josh has come on this season and has a super attitude.

“He came in and did well at Histon and Lewes and we need two goalkeepers. They are both sound lads who would not let us down. If one gets injured, I know I don’t have to go into the loan market.

“The chairman agreed a contract with Sodje about a year ago, so we have to honour that.”

About Greaves and Pejic, Foyle said: “I’ve left it open-ended with them and it’s not a yes or a no from us because I need to see what my budget will be. I want the chance to look around at the open market and that will give them the same opportunity. They both might have had a bit of interest already.”

Foyle revealed he had received no bids or inquiries about any of his contracted players as yet, but added: “People might test the water a bit, as I will be doing.”

While reluctant to put a number on the amount of new faces he would like to add to the squad until he knows his financial means and the plans of those offered new deals, Foyle admitted he would like to carry a squad of 20 senior players next season.

He said: “It will be an interesting summer and might need to be a patient one. There’s no need to get players in quickly and it might be that three or four come in late on.

“I don’t know how many we will bring in, but we need a squad around the 20 mark. We need better quality and more versatile players.”

About youth-team graduate Emmerson, Foyle said: “He’s got ability, although I’m not sure of his best position because he’s been playing in some pretty unorthodox places for the youth team. Maybe he’s one we will move out on loan to see how he copes with men’s football.”


York City squad list

Released
Mark Robinson, Daniel McBreen, Steven Hogg, Simon Rusk, Liam Shepherd, Josh Radcliffe, Christian Smith, Callum Brown, Jonathan McDonald, Joe Knowlson

Contracted
Adam Boyes, Michael Ingham, Craig Farrell, David McGurk, Daniel Parslow, Simon Russell, Adam Smith, Ben Wilkinson

Retained on contract option
Richard Brodie, Andy McWilliams

Offered contract
Ben Purkiss, Onome Sodje, Josh Mimms, Michael Emmerson

In talks
Shaun Pejic, Mark Greaves

Loan players returned
Levi Mackin, Simon Brown