SAM Bowen has been released by Bromsgrove Rovers.

Bowen (left) hit 25 goals for Rovers last season in their Midland Football Alliance promotion success.

He follows Matt Coppin and Lee Young out of the Victoria Ground, making him the third player to leave this summer.

Joint manager Jon Ford said the only reason for letting their top marksman go was because he did not fit into the management's plans.

He said: "He was released at the end of the season because we felt we needed a team player.

"Sam is a great player who scores lots of goals but he was an individual and that was the only reason."

But, in the signing of Paul Danks from Redditch United, Rovers could well have found a replacement for Bowen's strike power.

The 22-year-old notched 20 goals in all competitions for the Valley Stadium outfit last term in the Dr Martens Western so knows his way around the league.

But Rovers have failed to sign Redditch's Lee Knight after the central defender opted to stay with Rovers' rivals.

Ford and Gary Hackett had hoped to add Knight to their squad for the Western campaign but Knight rejected the move last week.

So far, Rovers have secured the services of three new players, two from Redditch, during the close season.

But Ford does not think that is something which will cause a problem.

"We are quietly confident we have the players we need," he added.