HEYBRIDGE Swifts boss Jody Brown believes his club's current feel-good factor is a key reason for players opting to stay next season.

The Ryman League division north side have confirmed that Lewis Dark, Phil Anderson, George Doyle and Lewis Godbold will be staying for the 2016/17 season.

Goalkeeper Danny Sambridge has also been retained and, in addition to playing, will also be part of the club's youth coaching set-up, working with the club's young shot-stoppers.

Brown believes the majority of last season's squad will stay put and believes his talented squad can build on their success late last season, when they finished strongly to avoid relegation.

“There’s a feel-good factor within the squad because of the way we finished," said Brown.

“We were a top-eight side, based on the last 15 games, and on top of that we got to two cup finals, producing a performance that we were all very proud of (in the Essex Senior Cup final) against Concord.

“We were supposed to be going into that game as whipping boys but they were left hanging on and we only lost 1-0.

“We pushed them to the absolute wire.

“The feeling after that game, when we debriefed, was ‘look what we can achieve as a group’.

“That was the level of performance we can achieve, without the pressure of relegation hanging around all the time.

“I know we won’t be relegation fodder next season. I’m confident in saying that.

“How far we can go is yet to be seen but if we can keep this group together and add to it then we’ll be up there."

Brown is confident others will follow in the footsteps of those who have agreed to stay.

“I think the majority of the squad will stay on board," said the Swifts boss.

“Before I made my decision, I spoke to all the squad because that was a big part of my thought process.

“I wanted to know that I’d retain all the young players that I’d worked so hard with for four or five months.

“Thankfully, the majority were ‘yeses’.

“I’m aware that things could change and until players sign forms, at the end of next month, other clubs can come in and poach them with better financial offers."