"I feel like we've made a bit of progress" - Millington on retaining players, new signings and his squad

The Shaymen are yet to confirm any new signings since the end of the season but have announced three departures from the squad in Matty Warburton, Sam Minihan and Sam Smart.

"I feel like we've made a bit of progress getting all the options out and offers out to those out-of-contract," said the Town manager.

"We're on with a lot of things, never quite goes as quickly as you'd like, but it's all a process and we just have to push it through as smoothly and efficiently as we can."

"There's a couple (of out-of-contract players) who are quite well advanced and I'd expect some progress on by the time I'm back at my desk on Monday.

"There's a couple of others who I'd hope to have decisions from by then."

Asked about the futures of Jesse Debrah and Kian Spence, Millington said: "I think logic and experience would tell you that there's probably bigger things in their short-term future.

"We'd love to see them representing Halifax Town again but only time will tell."

On whether he hopes the other out-of-contract players will stay, Millington said: "There's a much stronger argument for the rest to do at least another year with Halifax Town.

"I can put together really strong arguments to try and persuade them because of what they can contribute and the impact they can have on our progress and our season next season, as opposed to what may or may not happen if they go elsewhere."

On progress over any new signings, Millington said: "There's a few who are at the latter stages where they've come back asking for tweaks on contracts or offers, and we've given them the final format of what we can do.

"So decisions will be made on those in the next few days.

"We're hoping there'll be two or three in the next week or so, and two or three out-of-contract player re-signed hopefully."

When asked if the new signings who could be set to arrive were his first choice targets, Millington said: "The way we look at targets might be slightly different to the way fans will look at them.

"With a long-term view of getting players in the building to progress and develop into first-team regular starters, they are a significant priority for us, so we identify younger players who we know, in the next 12 to 18 months, will begin to significantly contribute on a first-team platform.

"Although they might not always be the big names or the ones that get everyone excited, from the point of view of having long-term security in the squad, they are very, very important to us.

"So some of them are those types of names and one or two of them are players who the fans will be really happy to hear have signed."

Millington would like to sign Adam Senior and Max Wright, who both ended the season on loan at Halifax, on permanent deals.

"They're both fantastic lads who've made a significant contribution," he said.

"Adam's played so many minutes since he arrived and has been a great presence in what we've achieved in the latter part of the season.

"Max, maybe not quite as much in terms of his minutes on the pitch, but a fantastic presence off the pitch and then when he's been called upon on the pitch he's been excellent.

"Good characters, good footballers and in an ideal world, we do everything we can to keep them at The Shay for next season."

On former Halifax loanee Billy Chadwick, who is a free agent after leaving Hull City, Millington said: "We know about Billy, we've watched him a couple of times this season when he's been a Boston.

"He's a finisher and would certainly bring goals.

"Whether or not he'd fit into the system and the way we play at the moment is the question we've got to answer before we make any moves on him."

But one player who won't be joining Town is Huddersfield-born midfielder Regan Booty, who has recently left Maidstone.

"We'd have loved to have had Regan," Millington said, "we had a really good effort at trying to bring him into the club, but I believe he's going to be going elsewhere."

Millington admits he is working under financial constraints compared to other clubs in the National League, but says that won't stop him from aiming high.

"We'd love to be able to go out and throw a load of money at it but the reality is we can't, there isn't the money there, we don't have the fanbase, we don't have the income streams that a lot of clubs have," he said.

"So we're definitely not going to be up there competing on a financial level.

"But what we will be doing is competing on a football level and we'll do everything we can to source the right type of players who are hungry enough to come and play for Halifax Town, who recognise the football offer we make but also the opportunity that playing at The Shay presents.

"We're very, very serious about doing everything we can to compete at the right end of the division, as we've shown we can do in the second-half of the season.

"If anyone out there's got any more money they want to give us, we'll take it, but the reality is we've got to compete at the top end of the division with the money we've got."

Millington added: "What we've got to try and build on this season is having a core group of players who know the style of play, know what the environment's like, know what the demands of the club are and know each other.

"So they've got the ability to work effectively and efficiently together.

"That's going to be a huge part of any success we have, is making sure there's continuity within the playing staff as much as we possibly can."

Millington says the pursuit of new signings and attempts to retain out-of-contract players has kept him extremely busy since the FA Trophy final win at Wembley.

"It's been relentless since the Trophy final, just non-stop," he said.

"I had the Monday to allow it to soak in and then Tuesday was immediately on to next season - planning, preparing, meeting potential targets.

"That won't stop now, so every working day between now and the beginning of pre-season it'll be organising and preparing the nuts and bolts of pre-season and meeting potential targets and giving them the sales pitch of what they can expect if they come and play at Halifax.

"It's possibly the busiest and most important period of the season.

"What we don't want to do is find ourselves signing significant players in the last week of pre-season, as we were last season, because it clearly impacts the performances in the early part of the season.

"We want to have a good, established, competitive squad by the time we're in the early stages of pre-season so we can really start working with them and know exactly how to get the best out of them from the first day of the season."

Matty Warburton left the club last week to join Solihull Moors.

"Very grateful for his time and his service to the club," Millington said.

"A bit of a stop-start season for him this season but his first season was fantastic and in an ideal world we'd have liked to have kept him.

"But personal circumstances meant that a move to that area of the country was always in the offing.

"Sorry to see him go but grateful we've had him for two seasons."

Also departing the club last week was winger Sam Smart.

"I wish him well and I hope he finds a club where he gets an opportunity to play regularly," said Millington.

"He can make a real contribution for someone with his ability.

"The way the season panned out and the change in shape, it didn't really ever get going for him at Halifax."

And on the departure of defender Sam Minihan, the Town boss said: "A tough season for him and a shame he never really got going.

"He had a spell in the team early on but with the development of other players and the tweak in shape, it meant his opportunities were limited.

"But I'm sure he won't be short of offers going into next season."