YORK City striker Ryan Bowman has left for Torquay with Bootham Crescent chief Nigel Worthington believing he found the step up to Football League level difficult.

Worthington signed Bowman last summer after he plundered 19 goals for Hereford in the Conference during 2012/13.

But the 22-year-old forward has been allowed to join relegated Torquay with a year left to run on his City contract after managing just eight goals, including two penalties, during 43 outings last term.

Bowman failed to net in open play during his last 21 appearances for the Minstermen - a four-month barren spell stretching back to January.

During the run-in to the end of the campaign and the play-off matches, he also lost his starting place to short-term signing Calvin Andrew, who was released himself by Worthington in May.

Last season's 13-goal top scorer Wes Fletcher, when fit again, would have joined new signing Jake Hyde, Michael Coulson and Ryan Jarvis ahead of Bowman in the pecking order for attacking places next season, paving the way for the latter's return to non-League football with the Gulls.

Bowman's career with the Minstermen was chequered, including two red cards and a pair of terrible open-goal misses in quick succession at AFC Wimbledon and Portsmouth.

But he did finish top of the club's assists table along with Coulson last term by creating seven goals for team-mates.

The former Carlisle and Darlington forwards's goals were also worth four points to his side.

On Bowman's departure, Worthington explained: "Ryan got some goals last season, including a couple of penalties, but I just felt we needed to see more to come from him and he has gone to Torquay now.

"We have brought Jake Hyde in to the equation for this season, so we thank Ryan for his time at the club and wish him all the best with Torquay. I think he found League football tough at times so, hopefully, he can find his feet there and get back to doing what he's done at that level before."

Bowman's departure means City now boast 20 professionals on their books, although Josh Carson is ruled out until November and both Fletcher and Dan Parslow face a battle to kick off the season as they recover from their respective medial and cruciate ligament injuries.

City chief Worthington added, though, that Bowman's exit is unlikely to herald a replacement.

"If there is anybody else out there available, we will have a look at it but we have already got Jake Hyde, Michael Coulson and Ryan Jarvis, with Wes Fletcher also not a million miles away," the Minstermen boss reasoned.

Elsewhere, City's Sky Bet League Two rivals Shrewsbury have recruited released Tranmere frontman Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and Wycombe have signed teenage goalkeeper Alex Lynch from Peterborough.

Northampton have also swooped for full-backs Daniel Alfei and ex-Minsterman Evan Horwood on a season-long loan from Swansea and a free transfer from Tranmere respectively.

Defender Troy Archibald-Henville, meanwhile, has left Swindon for Carlisle, while Shrewsbury left-back Joe Jacobson has joined Wycombe and released City centre-half Tom Allan has been reunited with former boss Gary Mills at Gateshead.

City have confirmed, meanwhile, that they will complete their pre-season programme with a match against Nigel Clough’s League One outfit Sheffield United at Bootham Crescent on Saturday, August 2. The game will kick off at 3pm.