Greg Draper and Simon Spender among eight released by Saints
OSWESTRY, ENGLAND - 15 MAY, 2021: Greg Draper of The New Saints during the warm up The New Saints v Bala Town in the Cymru Premier Championship Conference at Park Hall on the 15th May 2021. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
Long-serving duo Greg Draper and Simon Spender will leave The New Saints as players this summer after being released.
Both Draper and Spender joined the Oswestry side in 2011 and leave Park Hall after a decade of service in a trophy-laden spell. Winger Jamie Mullan is also on the released list and has found moved quickly to sign for title rivals Connah’s Quay.
Anthony Limbrick has also released defenders Kwame Boateng, Ryan Harrington, and Adam Hughes, along with young duo David Lyon and Robbie Williams.
Draper, 31, joined the club in 2011 from Basingstoke Town and went on to score 163 league goals in 252 games for the Saints, becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
The striker leaves Park Hall having won the Cymru Premier on eight occasions, along with five Welsh Cups and four Nathaniel MG Cups.
Individually, Draper has been named in the Cymru Premier Team of the Year twice and won the Golden Boot during two successive seasons between 2017 and 2019.
Draper will now take up a role as an Elite Football Coach and Football Ambassador at the club but is free to play his football elsewhere.
∙ Greg Draper on becoming The New Saints’ all-time record goalscorer
Spender, 35, arrived at Park Hall along with Draper in 2011, with the right-back signing from Barrow.
The experienced defender has gone on to make 202 league appearances for the Saints and has won every piece of silverware in Welsh domestic football.
Spender will also be staying at the club, taking up the role of Assistant Head of Performance, as well as working part-time with the Saints’ scholars.
Mullan leaves The New Saints to join back-to-back Cymru Premier champions Connah’s Quay Nomads.
The winger made 24 league appearances for the Saints this season, who missed out on the title on the final day of the season.
Commenting on their departures, TNS COO, Ian Williams said: “The club would like to place on record its thanks to Jamie Mullan, Simon Spender and Greg Draper for their invaluable contribution made towards the success of the club over the past 10 seasons,
“I personally wish Jamie the very best as he continues his football journey, and welcome back Simon and Greg who will both be taking on full-time coaching roles at the club.”
Also leaving the club is Ryan Harrington, who departs after two seasons. The 22-year-old who joined from Aberdeen made 44 appearances, scoring twice. In his last appearance, he was red-carded as TNS had to settle for second.
Kwame Boateng, who joined TNS this season has also departed. The left-back made 10 appearances but was surplus to requirements following the arrival of Anthony Limbrick.
Defender Adam Hughes has also departed but was limited to just one league appearance. He was moved out on loan to Aberystwyth last season before joining FA Cup giantkillers Marine in the following campaign.
