YORK City interim boss John Askey has ruled out the acquisition of Zeli Ismail after the midfielder joined the Minstermen for a trial.

Ismail - who most recently played under Josh Gowling at National League North rivals Hereford - turned down City's offer, Askey revealed on Saturday.

The 28-year-old was a youth player with Wolverhampton Wanderers, away from whom he had a succession of loan spells before signing for Bury, Walsall, then Bradford City, and finally Hereford.

Askey is still in the hunt for players to boost his side's bid for promotion, which hit another stumbling block at the weekend when City were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by now fourth-placed Kidderminster Harriers.

“He’s not taken up our offer,” he said speaking after the Kidderminster game.

“It’s disappointing to a certain extent but if someone’s coming purely for money then you’ve got to question why they want to be with us.

“My job now is to get players in who are going to improve us.”

It was a light squad City took down to Worcestershire, particularly in midfield, following the departures of Sam Fielding and Harrison Hopper on the day, the loan move of Mackenzie Heaney, and Paddy McLaughlin and Akil Wright both missing.

Michael Woods started for the first time after having been out injured since October while Mitch Hancox played at holding midfield and assistant manager Kingsley James was named on the bench.