MARCUS Browning remains in the dark over his future at the Wessex Stadium and will hold talks with Weymouth chairman Ian Ridley and manager Matty Hale later this week.

The 38-year-old player-coach still has a year left to run on his current contract but due to the appointment of Hale and new assistant Andy Tillson it appears his stay at the Terras is hanging in the balance.

Browning said: “I have spoken to Ian Ridley and he has said we will sit down and have a chat soon.

“To be honest I do not know what their plans are at all so all I can assume at the moment, with Matty Hale and Andy Tillson both coming in, is that they are relieving me of my duties even though I still have a year left on my contract.

“With the financial position of the club I would have thought the board must have taken that into account but until I speak to them more, we will just have to wait and see.

“I am going on holiday next Monday and Ian has said he will phone me before then.”

Hale refused to give anything away when questioned about Browning’s future but his number two is a keen admirer of the ex-AFC Bournemouth star, having played alongside him during a lengthy spell at Bristol Rovers.

Tillson said: “Marcus is a great lad and I have a lot of respect for him. He is the right type of lad and I have no doubts about him at all but it just depends on what can be done.”

Meanwhile, Hale added: “At the moment we are just finding our feet. Lots of players have approached us and once we have chatted to those guys individually we will speak to Marcus and have a good look at it.”

Browning is disappointed that he has been overlooked in the Terras’ new managerial set up but reckons Hale and Tillson will do a good job.

He added: “I am disappointed because I would have loved to have taken on the challenge and had a real good crack at it but I know Andy well, and although I don’t know much about Matty Hale, I am sure they will be a good appointment. As for me, I must now move on and see what happens next.”

Browning became Jason Tindall’s assistant at the Terras in August 2007 but he was then forced to step down to player-coach following the arrival of John Hollins and Alan Lewer in January 2008.

When Hollins exited the club last December, Lewer was promoted to first-team boss with Browning acting as his number two – a role the ex-Wales international continued with when Bobby Gould took over from Lewer in the final weeks of last season.