FA TROPHY goal hero Chris McPhee will not be returning to Ebbsfleet United after rejecting a new contract at Stonebridge Road.

Head coach Liam Daish was desperate to retain McPhee's services, but the man who scored the winning goal at Wembley last month has decided to return to the south west one year on from his arrival from Torquay.

Daish confirmed: "I had been trying hard to secure Chris, but it looks like he will be heading back there because it is where his bride to be comes from.

"Chris told me he will be looking to get another club there and if he isn't able to get one he will go into the coaching business.

"From a footballing perspective it is very disappointing from our point of view.

"Chris came here last year and said he wanted to have another crack at it.

"I remember him saying then it was his last season to try it as a player and I think he had a good campaign and was an integral part of our side.

"Now for family reasons he has decided to move back and we can't keep him on full-time terms here if he is living in Torquay."

Ebbsfleet will not receive any fee for McPhee should he join another side as he was out of contract and aged 25.

Meanwhile, Daish revealed he is getting closer to making his first summer signing.

"There are ongoing talks taking place with a few players and it is more a question of when, as opposed to if, it will happen," he added.

His options were certainly strengthened earlier this week when the MyFC membership voted to hand him a weekly budget of £10,000 for the forthcoming campaign.

Daish welcomed the news and hopes it will enable him to carry on from where he left of at the end of last season.

He said: "It gives me a few more options and I don't think it would have been possible without the new investors coming in.

"We've always tried to compete in this league with whatever budget we've had and there is still no way I'm going to be able to compete with the big spenders in the division.

"What it will do is help me get a similar size of squad which we had here at the end of last year for the beginning of this season.

"We can start from this point and it is a big help."

Ebbsfleet this week appointed former Conference chief John Moules as club chairman and David Davis as their first ever chief executive officer.

Daish met both men yesterday and says he is looking forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.

"I enjoyed my first discussions with John and Chris yesterday and was impressed by what they had to say," he added.