WORCESTER City joint manager Carl Heeley paid tribute to Nathan Vaughan after the keeper's work commitments forced his exit from the National League North club.

The 33-year-old only spent one season with the Aggborough tenants but wrote himself into club history by saving Reda Johnson's penalty in Worcester's famous 2-1 FA Cup first-round win at Coventry City.

Birmingham-based Vaughan also starred in the second-round replay with Scunthorpe United before the hosts bowed out after a mammoth penalty shoot-out.

Heeley said: "I had a chat with Nathan in the last week of the season. He used to work for me briefly but got a job at Jaguar Land Rover and his work shift pattern kept him from playing.

"During the last two or three months of the season, he picked a foot injury up but was also restricted by his work.

"We wanted to keep Nathan but needed him to sort out his job to go with the football and he went away to see if there was any chance of him getting into permanent days.

"He told us he needed to be 100 per cent committed and we gave him time to assess what was possible.

"Nathan came back and said that we'd been brilliant to him and he had great memories of the club but had to prioritise his job. So he had to call it a day and maybe play locally.

"I totally understand his situation. I cannot dictate to players that football comes first if they are part-time because in the close-season they don't get paid.

"Nathan's been tremendous for us and a great character, there's not many left in the game.

"He got himself a little bit of Worcester City history with that penalty save at the Ricoh Arena (against Coventry) and by being a top lad. He wanted to stress he had a brilliant time at City.

"I will never forget Nathan bouncing up and down on the goal line and grabbing the bar before that penalty at the Ricoh. Also the way he finished the penalty in the shoot-out against Scunthorpe with such confidence.

"But we now know we have to recruit another keeper."

The City management team have been unable to speak to their other keeper Jose Veiga, 38, yet and Heeley said past loanee Ryan Boot had signed a new deal at Port Vale with the 20-year-old citing his successful spell at Worcester as a key factor to the offer.