Sean Winter has sensationally quit East Kilbride after over five years at K-Park.
Kilby gaffer Stevie Aitken has revealed the winger turned down the chance to go out on loan after falling out of favour at the Lowland League club and decided to cut ties with his hometown club.
Aitken said: “Sean is unfortunate that he’s missed a lot of football, missed all of pre-season and has been playing catch-up.
“He admitted his fitness levels weren’t what they should be, he’s put a bit of weight on, but he’s been working hard to get himself back in condition.
“The only way he can do that is to go and get games. We had a chat and agreed for him to go out on loan until January and look at it again, but I think Sean slept on it, he had a change of heart and decided he wanted to break ties, which was disappointing.
“Nobody forced him out the door.
“We wanted him to come back, but he wanted a new challenge.
“He’s a guy I know really well and has done well for me over the years. I respect him and I know he wants to play football, so I wish him all the best and hope he gets the football he wants.
“He pushed himself out, which I don’t think was right for him to do, but it was agreed it was his call.
“He’s been a great servant for me and the club, so I wish him all the best.”
Winter joined Kilby in 2015 on the same day ex-Kilby defender Barry Russell signed up, and went on to win two Lowland League titles at K-Park.
He also helped EK earn their big Scottish Cup clash with Celtic in 2016, scoring the clinching goal in a 2-0 win over Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale and guided the club to their 30-game winning run in the same year, which eclipsed a world record set by Ajax.
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