AFC Fylde thank Danny Philliskirk for staying on lower wages and turning down Carlisle United offer

READ MORE: Philliskirk agrees new Coasters deal.

The midfielder, who has agreed a new two-year deal with the Coasters, had previously been expected to depart when his contract expired at the end of the month.

But the 29-year-old (right), who turned down an offer from League Two outfit Carlisle United, expressed a real “desire” to remain at Mill Farm according to the club’s owner.

“What was particularly nice was that Danny said: ‘I want to stay at Fylde. I love playing at Fylde and I like Jim (Bentley) as a manager,” Haythornthwaite said.

“He knows us as a club. He lives down the road from us in Oldham. He’s an Oldham lad and it isn’t bad to get to Fylde from there and he’s expressed a wish to stay. That to me is always a really important part of any negotiation if someone genuinely wants to stay.

“He’s a great lad and there’s nobody better at keeping hold of the ball.

“He’s having a hernia operation which he should have had last season but he played through with a lot of pain. I think you’ll see 30 per cent more out of Danny than last season.

“I made it clear we weren’t handing contracts out but I also said there were a lot of creative ways that we could work with players potentially like Philli. And if they were prepared to be flexible and accept a new way of working, there was always a deal to be done. I have to say thank you to Danny for being very accommodating.

“We’ve offered him the security of a two-year deal but he has accepted considerably less money than in the past. It’s still a very good package. He won’t be starving but I think it’s where those new deals will be.

“And he’s agreed he won’t take that full wage until we start playing football. He’s embraced that and said, ‘That works for me. I’m taking a considerable paycut but it’s a two-year deal, it gives me security.’ And he doesn’t have to drive to Carlisle!

“He’d have made more money there but money isn’t everything. I hope the fans are delighted because Danny would always be on my teamsheet straight away.”

Chief executive Jonty Castle added: “It was clear that our manager wanted to keep Danny at the club as did the chairman and I, so when we found out Danny definitely wanted to remain a part of the club we managed to creatively get a deal that works for all parties.

“David has been clear with players and staff alike that we were not going to be signing any contracts that may put the club at risk, so Danny and I had to find an arrangement that worked and thankfully we’ve done that.”