Simon Huckle’s exit from Kingstonian may have left manager Alan Dowson feeling sad, but he knows the time is right for a separation.

Midfielder Huckle and Dowson have been a long-standing double act that stretches back to their days at Walton & Hersham, with Huckle switching to Ks when Dowson left the Swans to take over at Kingsmeadow.

That was 2007 and Huckle has been at the club ever since, making more than 200 appearances.

But this week the relationship finally came to end with 30-year-old Huckle leaving the club for a fresh challenge, and Dowson wishing him nothing but the best.

“Simon and I have been together for years but we both felt it was the right time,” he said.

“He has been a great servant to me and to Kingstonian and I hope he gets a great move.

“Lots of people will probably be surprised, but we both feel we have been together that long that he wanted to have a fresh challenge, which I totally understand.

“He is a great lad and everyone at the club does nothing but praise him.

“It is sad for me though as he has been a great servant for me.

“There is no negativity between the two of us – he needs a fresh start and I need a fresh start as well.”

Huckle’s exit follows that of assistant manager Mark Hams as Dowson’s right-hand man.

Hams has decided to spend more time with the academy and while Dowson, who will take time to appoint a replacement, admitted he will miss having him by his side, he again gave the decision his backing.

“Mark and I are best of friends and always will be,” he said.

“But he has a lot of work with the academy and would like to be a number one somewhere, and I think in the next year he will be.

“He has ambitions to be a number one and he will be excellent at it.

“There’s no bitterness there and I couldn’t praise him enough. I will still speak to him five times a day.”