FIVE key members of Braintree Town's promotion-winning squad have agreed terms to return for the Iron as they prepare for life back in the Vanarama National League next season.

Manager Brad Quinton said he had reached agreements with goalkeeper Nathan McDonald, midfielders Billy Crook and Luke Allen and strike duo Marcel Barrington and Dan Thompson.

It is good news after Quinton told the Braintree and Witham Times this week that skipper Marc-Anthony Okoye may not be the only player to depart from the squad that took them to Vanarama National League South play-off glory last month.

So to have five players who all played central roles in that success will be a boost to the Iron boss and he has given fans further cause for celebration by announcing his first summer signing.

The Braintree manager has also agreed terms with Olu Durojaiye.

The 25-year-old, who was at Welling United last season, can play in defence or midfield and has international experience after being called into Nigeria's Under-20 Development Squad.

Durojaiye started his career as a youngster for Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City, before joining Scottish sides Falkirk and Brechin City and has also played for Enfield Town, Hayes & Yeading United, Hungerford Town and Haringey Borough.

However, while he is pleased to have parts of his squad sorted, Quinton said it was possible that Okoye may not be the last member of last season’s squad not returning this year.
Okoye turned down the chance to feature again for the Iron after opting to join Vanarama National League rivals Bromley and Quinton admitted that it had been a trying early spell to his summer.
He said: “It’s been a busy few weeks with a few ups and downs - people are coming back, while some are still away - and it’s been pretty full on.
“Losing your skipper doesn’t help, though. It’s been a bit of a tough one to take and there could be a few more to be honest.
“We’ll find out over the next week or so, but we are trying our best to keep the boys we want to have here next year.
“Expectations are higher this year for them all and we have seen some people with a few options, but when you get people over-achieving like we did last year, you do get a certain amount of looking around.
“We are not a full-time club and a lot of them want to do that.
“My target last year was to get the club promoted and help move the boys closer to being full-time if that’s what their dreams are and if they get the chance then we wish them well.
“Marc (Okoye) is a fantastic player. We tried to keep him but we couldn’t compete with the money he had been offered.
“It’s possible that there could be others going as well.
“When you think about what we did on one of the lowest budgets in the division last year, you expect to have people coming in for your players.
“We had a fantastic togetherness and the way we got ourselves over the line was amazing.
“Fair play to the boys but when you get a team like that, you expect people to be looking at you.”
Quinton said the involvement of football agents had made his job tougher this year, but he insisted that he would not be issuing any signing-on ultimatums to players.
He added: “When you get to the level that we have, you see agents coming in to represent players who they didn’t want to know last year and that complicates matters as a manager.
“You have to deal with that before you can do things so it is a lot different.
“You find you get to a certain point, but I will stick to my guns and if they don’t like it then they can go elsewhere.
“It’s a tough situation at this moment in time.
“It’s revolving doors a bit at this point of pre-season.
“People want to get deals done, but you get agents offering players and suddenly they will ring up and say that things have changed so you have to be patient.
“It’s frustrating more than anything as you think you have something over the line then the line moves.
“There are always things happening and we’ll be able to announce things shortly, but we’ll do what we can.
“What I won’t do is issue the players with a deadline to sign on.
“I don’t want that.
“They have gone up to be Conference players, but we are not a full-time club and that’s being bluntly honest and we just keep moving on.
“We keep working hard, keep smiling and things will improve.”