Steven King has delivered the news all Lewes fans want to hear - he is staying at the Dripping Pan.

The Rooks manager has ended speculation about his future by confirming he will lead the club again in Conference south next season.

There had been a question mark over King's future since it became clear the Rooks would not be allowed to take part in the Conference south play-offs for a second successive year as the Dripping Pan is not up to scratch.

King admitted he had received offers from other clubs to leave Lewes but revealed Eastbourne Borough were not among them.

After buying a property in Eastbourne recently, rumours spread on fans' websites that he was on his way to Priory Lane.

But King has been planning for a fourth season at Lewes for several weeks. He kept his commitment private until now because he wanted to see improvement work begin before announcing his plans.

That happened last Sunday when the ageing stand behind the dugouts was knocked down - with King there to lend a helping hand.

Ironically, the work began two days after the Conference confirmed Lewes could not take part in the play-offs.

King said: "It is a massive disappointment not to be allowed to take part in the play-offs. It is hard enough to reach the play-offs at any level of football. To make it two years on the spin and not be allowed to take part is hard to take.

"I believe our last two performances have shown the players knew they would not be going into the play-offs. We were flying before then.

"I am not going to lie. I have done a lot of soul-searching, thinking what is best for me, my family and the club, because I love the club.

"I will be staying, definitely. I want to fulfil what I set out to do when I first came here, which is to take them into Conference National and beyond if I can. I want that badly.

"The atmosphere on Sunday brought it home to me, people were crying when the stand was knocked down and I realised how far this club had come in a short space of time."

Lewes were in Ryman division one when King took over 2003. They effectively secured double promotion in his first season in charge, winning the title and then progressing to the inaugural Conference south via play-offs.

Last season the Rooks finished fourth and they have repeated that finish in a tougher division this year.

King is regarded as one of the brightest young managers in non-league football and topped a fans' poll when Crawley were looking to replace Francis Vines earlier in the season.

There was always a concern that his ambitions would out-pace Lewes, who currently have one of the worst facilities for their level.

But improvement plans under the guidance and drive of managing director Martin Elliott are now going ahead so that Lewes will have the necessary ground grading to go up next year should they be in the same position.

King said: "We have taken the club so far in the last three years and we had got into a position where we could not build the stand without the grants we have now got.

"I trust Martin Elliott and I believe in him. Before the Welling game he came into the changing rooms and said to the players, We may not make it this year but I promise you this club won't be in this situation again'. It took a big man to do that.

"We will be better next year. I am not going to make many changes but the four or five players I bring in to the squad will be of the next level."

King's decision should finally quash the speculation linking him with Eastbourne Borough.

He said: "I had one or two offers from other clubs but I have weighed up everything and I think Lewes is the right place to achieve what I want to achieve at this moment.

"I have never been unhappy at Lewes. The only thing I have been unhappy with is the progress. Clubs and people get to feel your vulnerability but I have never had any contact with Eastbourne Borough.

"They have a manager. Garry Wilson can get on with managing Eastbourne and I can get on with managing Lewes."