DAN Mason has scored 84 goals over the last two seasons for Sholing.

Yet manager Dave Diaper is happy to report that higher league clubs are not banging down the door trying to lure the Boatmen’s prized asset away.

Dan – the youngest of the club’s three Mason brothers – finished Wessex Premier golden boot runner-up with 39 goals last term and is the outright table-topper this season with 45.

But rather than express surprise that Mason does not have a band of cheque-book wielding admirers in hot pursuit, Diaper is just happy to have such a prolific goalscorer on the books.

“There’s an option on Dan’s contract and we want to take him on again,” he said. “I think there’s still more to come from him.

“When you’ve scored as many goals as he has, you’d think there would be people knocking on the door.

“But I’ve heard nothing on the rumour mill about clubs interested in Dan – and long may that continue.

“We can’t lose our top goalscorer.

“We’re like a conveyor belt here. We keep churning out good players at Sholing – and we want to keep them.”

Diaper has already made inroads into keeping his existing squad together.

Skipper Byron Mason, Marvin McLean, Zac Mouland, Jake Hoole and Owen Royl are among the first to re-sign for the Sydenhams League Cup/Southampton Senior Cup double winners.

But he is aware that players like TJ Cuthbertson – named man-of-the-match in the Senior Cup final – is on the radar of higher league clubs.

Cuthbertson has already impressed further up the pyramid with Gosport Borough, but he went back to Sholing when financial problems hit the National League South side.

“TJ was different class at St Mary’s and Tom Killick (manager of Poole Town) was there,” said Diaper.

“We do have players in the shop window – (central defender) Dan Miller is another one - and we can’t afford to pay the money other clubs are offering.

“But, then again, some of these lads have been on their travels before and the grass is not always greener on the other side.

“I want everyone to re-sign. I want what’s best for Sholing FC.”