MARK: Why I left

The 29 year-old made 113 appearances for Glenavon however, after making just 17 starts last term, Turkington says he decided to leave when it appeared his playing opportunities would be limited.

“I spoke to the manager seeking clarity and it became apparent I wasn’t being valued on the same level as the rest of the squad. I was initially told there was no contract offer, then a week later an offer was made. I felt as a senior player and the longest serving at the club, things could have been handled better.

“I always made it clear I wanted to stay. I was happy at the club and willing to make sacrifices. However, taking into account the lack of playing insurance for the season ahead I made the difficult decision to call an end to my time at the club.” Turkington did get a run of five starts over Christmas but a run of defeats led to him being dropped something which he feels was largely undeserved.

“When I got back into the team around Christmas I felt I had done well enough to deserve an extended run,” he said. “I was then dropped after New Years Day. I spoke to Gary and he put it down to results. That was frustrating because we had played three of the sides who were in top form at the time.”

Turkington will look back at his time at Mourneview Park with fond memories, particularly of his haul of Player of the Season awards just two years ago.

He said: “I really enjoyed my time there and I felt proud to play for Glenavon. I can’t speak highly enough of the club and the supporters. There are no hard feelings and I wish Gary and the boys all the best. I hope they can push up the table and even break into the top six, which they are capable of doing.”