Steve McKimm says Arthur Lee would be welcome back for a third spell at Tonbridge.

The defender has called time on his second stint at Longmead due to work commitments.

Angels boss McKimm understood his decision but, if circumstances allow, the centre-half knows he only has to pick up the phone.

Lee originally left Tonbridge after starring in their Isthmian Premier promotion campaign in 2019.

The left-footer returned a year later and was every bit as good.

Speaking about his departure, McKimm said: “Arthur lives in Oxford and work has taken over, so it’s tough for him to get back and forward, certainly with his job at the moment, because he’s snowed under.

“He’s a quality player, I’ve loved having him back and I’d love to have him back for a third spell when his work settles down.

“At this moment in time he can’t commit, I’d love to have kept him, but I understand his reasons.

“If we can get him back at some point, great, because he’s a top player.”

A blank weekend - although Tonbridge will train - gives McKimm time to consider potential replacements for Lee and also Zak Guerfi and Tom Hanfrey, who have left in search of regular first-team football.

Tonbridge’s four-match unbeaten run in National South ended last Saturday, when Concord pinched a 3-2 victory in the 88th minute.

It was hard on Angels who played well and saw Tommy Wood's header controversially ruled out while the score was 2-2.

Joe Turner hit the opener as Tonbridge led 1-0 while Ibrahim Olutade scored a brilliant backheel volley from a free-kick to square the match after Concord had gone 2-1 up.

McKimm said: “Always when you play well and don’t get a result, people are a bit suspect, but I was very pleased with the boys.

“We deserved more out of it but sometimes you don’t get what you deserve.

“I’ve watched the decision for the disallowed goal and never in a million years should it have been disallowed.

“The referee said he was holding the player down with both arms but you can see that’s not the case.

“We also had a perfectly good goal at Dartford ruled out but there’s no point crying over spilt milk.

“We didn’t get the decisions so now we have to focus on the next league game against Billericay and see how we get on with that.

“We were on a nice unbeaten run. Four games doesn’t sound a lot but when you take into account the teams we played - Hungerford, Hampton, Dartford, Dorking - all four were in the top six when last season stopped, so it’s no mean feat.

“It wasn’t as though we took our foot off the pedal against Concord, who are a very good side in their own right, we just didn’t get what we deserved but that’s football.

“We dust ourselves down and take the positives.”

Olutade has four goals from three starts after his delightful finish from Turner’s free-kick. He’s proving to be quite a signing.

McKimm said: “I think it’s instinctive where he feels if he gets any sort of touch on the ball, because of the pace on the cross, it goes in the back of the net.

"He had no right to score from there but it’s a great ball in and a great bit of imagination and it’s skidded off the surface and gone in before the keeper could even blink."

Read more: The latest sports news in Kent