Boreham Wood have missed out on keeping Luke Howell next season after the midfielder agreed to rejoin Dagenham & Redbridge.

Howell spent last season with Wood and scored in their final day win at Welling United which kept the side in the National League.

The 29-year-old was all set to remain with Luke Garrard’s side for the next campaign but changed his mind and has opted to return to his former club.

Dagenham were relegated from League Two last season and Howell will come up against his old teammates next year in the league.

Wood chairman Danny Hunter was disappointed to lose Howell but wished the player well on his return to the Daggers.

Hunter told the club website: “Having agreed terms with us and then approved the club’s press release prior to a family holiday, Luke simply had a change of mind and has decided to accept a very good Dagenham offer.

“We are obviously disappointed to lose a good player but we understand that we jumped the gun with our announcement regarding Luke’s signature and after all these years I should know better.

“In football nothing is ever done until the ink is dry and the contracts are with the FA.”

The Wood chairman continued: “As a club we wish Luke well but we move on and now look forward to welcoming Luke, John Still and Dagenham to Meadow Park next season.”

Wood have not faced Dagenham competitively for 17 years and Hunter believes their meeting next season shows how far the club have come recently.

He said: “It will be the first time we’ve played them in a competitive league game, since my very first season as chairman here back in 1999.

“I could never have dreamt after Dagenham went up to the lofty heights of Division One of the Football League and we were struggling in the Ryman League that we would ever be playing a league game against them again but that’s how it is and it just shows how times have changed.”