Steve Mildenhall has rejected Andy King's offer of a new three-year contract at the County Ground.

The 22-year-old Swindon Town keeper has refused to commit himself to the club, to the anger and disbelief of his manager.

King said: "Steve Mildenhall has not accepted the very good offer I put to him. It is now up to him. Agents come into it again.

"He has been told that there is greatness out there waiting for him.

"I have not had any contact with other clubs but maybe he feels his future may lie elsewhere."

The keeper himself said: "I have been made an offer but I really want to keep my options open at this stage. Three years is a long time, so we'll just have to see.

"I have been at Swindon since I was a lad and grew up following the club. But there is a long summer ahead and I have not ruled anything in or out."

King said Mildy had only been selected to play at Stoke because, with second choice keeper Bart Griemink injured, he was worried about exposing youth keeper Craig Farr

to the supercharged atmosphere at the Britannia Stadium.

He said: "I feared a heavy defeat could have shattered the boy's confidence. I saw it happen to a keeper at Everton and I didn't want the same to happen."

Mildenhall's refusal to sign was revealed by King as he formally announced which players would be leaving the club.

Andy Williams, Adrian Bakalli, Gareth Hall, Jamie Mills, Sam Campagna and Frazer McHugh have all been released.

Paul McAreavey had already prepared for the bad news but he has been offered a new one-year deal by King, having made an impact on his return from a loan spell in Ireland.

The manager praised Mills in particular as a good young professional who cared and it had not been easy to let the former youth team man go.

King said: "Each player who has been released will receive a letter from me explaining the situation and thanking them for what they have contributed to this club.

"That same letter will be going out to Holland to Antoine Van Der Linden. I don't hold any grudges. I never have."

King said he was still in the dark over whether funds would be available for new players.

He said: "It is the case of having to clear bodies out before bringing bodies in, but I have to be careful not to clear the decks too much."

A decision on the future of striker Steve Cowe will be made when the player returns from treatment at Lilleshall.