Gillingham have decided not to hand new deals to three members of their first-team squad.

Defenders Simon King and Garry Richards, along with striker Jo Kuffour, have been told they will not be offered new contracts.

Popular defender King has been plagued by injuries since the Gills won the play-off final in May 2009, a season that saw him named player-of-the-year (pictured).

He played just nine times for the Gills this season and did not feature since the 1-0 home defeat to Crawley in March.

In total, King played 112 times for Gillingham, scoring three goals, since joining from Barnet for £200,000 in June 2007.

Fellow centre-back Richards departs after a four-year spell at Priestfield, having signed from Southend in January 2008.

The 28-year-old featured 28 times this season but his season was cut short by an ankle injury sustained against Barnet in early March. He made 121 appearances in total, scoring six goals for the Gills.

Striker Kuffour departs Priestfield after netting just one goal since late January.

A success during an initial loan spell from Bristol Rovers earlier this season, Kuffour signed until the end of the campaign after banging in seven goals in 13 games.

But, since making the move permanent, Kuffour's goal touch deserted him and he scored only twice more for the Gills.

It brings the total number of players released so far in the close season to eight with Curtis Weston, Danny Spiller, Dennis Oli, Matt Lawrence and Dean Rance departing the Gills earlier this month.