Sean Shields is heading back out on loan this week - but he won't be rejoining Margate.

The Ebbsfleet winger looked set to make a permanent switch to Thanet having impressed on loan but that move collapsed earlier this month.

Margate boss Nikki Bull said the club had "exhausted every avenue" in their attempts to get a deal over the line, including a fresh loan deal until the end of the season or for another month.

But Fleet vice-chairman Peter Varney responded by saying the Blues had treated Shields poorly and his comments were echoed by manager Daryl McMahon.

He said: "I think everything’s made too public from their end about what’s been going on.

"I read about it online before they even called me. That’s not how I do my business and I prefer to look after the player and speak to the player rather than tell everyone else before I speak to the other club.

"Shieldsy will be on loan this week but he won’t be going to Margate.

"From our end, the deal changed three times in a month about how they were going to look after him. We felt he was going to get an 18-month deal at Margate but that was changed and he wasn’t happy about it either.

"It was made out to be something that we’ve done whereas we’re just looking after our player and we’ll continue to do that for our players. Every player at this football club knows we look after them and we’ve got their best interests at heart, whether they’re playing or not.

"We’ll try to help them in their careers and I think we’ve done the right thing by Shieldsy."

The clubs agreed a permanent transfer for Matt Johnson in January, the midfielder having starred on loan alongside Shields - but the pair are now unlikely to be reunited.

McMahon said: "It’s down to Sean what he wants to do, it’s not just down to us.

"He wants to go somewhere he’s comfortable and where he’s going to play and where he’s going to be looked after as well. A big part of this is down to Sean as well.

"We let Shieldsy go on loan to Margate and they didn’t pay his full wage. We did them a favour by letting them have him in the first place - and to get Shieldsy games as well.

"I don’t think it was dealt with very well - and far too public for my liking."