Steve Foster one of eight leaving Mansfield Town

Foster helped Mansfield reach the FA Trophy final this season

Veteran centre-half Steve Foster and winger Ashley Cain are two of eight players who have been released by new Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox.

Foster, 36, was in his second spell with the Stags and had hoped to be offered a new deal, while Cain only joined permanently last summer.

Ben Turner, Dan Spence, Steven Istead, Luke Medley, Neil Collett and Kevin Sandwith have also been released.

But Cox has offered a one-year contract to 19-year-old striker Conor Higginson.

And the Blue Square Bet Premier club are still in negotiations with defender Gary Silk about the possibility of a new deal.