YORK City boss Martin Gray has revealed that former captain Simon Heslop’s Bootham Crescent future will be resolved in the summer, but he has been happy to welcome the midfielder back into his team.
Gray had previously insisted Heslop would not feature in his plans after he handed in a transfer request but, having spent a spell on loan at National League Eastleigh, the former Huntington school pupil has started the last three games for the Minstermen following clear-the-air talks with the ex-Darlington boss.
On Heslop’s return to the fold, Gray said: “He’s been solid since he came back and has been playing with maturity. He wants to prove a point to everybody – to me, the other football people at the club and the fans – and I get that.
“We’ve got to make sure we back him and show some trust in him, because his experience makes him a major asset. It was a difficult conversation to try and bring closure to the situation before, but he’s a paid York City player and he’s too good to sit in the stand.
“I never wanted him to leave and he wants to do well for the football club, which is the most important thing, so we’ve got to get the best out of him. We need to get promotion and he’s part of what we’re trying to do, then we’ll address where we go with him after the end of the season.”
Heslop will have another 12 months of his three-year deal to run at Bootham Crescent at the end of the campaign.
Attacker Louis Almond, meanwhile, is out of contract in the summer but, having played during the reserves’ 2-1 North Riding Cup win against Boro Rangers this week following a three-month absence with a shoulder injury, he will also return to the senior squad at Tamworth on Saturday and be given his chance to impress during coming weeks.
“He’s not match fit or ready to start games, but he’ll come into contention,” Gray pointed out.
Gray added that he is considering switching to a three-man defence against the Lambs, having seen his team keep Stockport off the scoresheet last weekend after adopting those tactics at half-time, arguing that the system change improved the team offensively too.
“We were more attack-minded, because Stockport defended for 45 minutes and their keeper was man of the match,” the ex-Sunderland midfielder declared. “We played higher up the pitch and the distribution from the back three was good, so it’s something we’ve got in mind going forward.”
Tamworth are now without Reece Styche – City’s two-goal tormentor in the 3-2 defeat at Bootham Crescent in October – but Gray remains respectful of the challenge the Staffordshire hosts still present.
“Their form has dropped since Reece Styche left, as you would expect because, whilst Andy Morrell’s a good manager who knows the game, he will have a limited budget, so how would you replace Reece Styche?” Gray reasoned. “It would be similar if we’d had to replace Jon Parkin.
“Nobody would want to let players like them go, unless there was a big fee involved, but you can’t under-estimate them because they’ve lost a key player. They’re still capable of doing something and can produce if you don’t turn up.
“They only lost 1-0 at Spennymoor last week and had a goal disallowed, so could have easily come away with a draw.”