NEW recruit Dave Winfield is up for the task of dislodging York City's twin towers of Keith Lowe and John McCombe.

Reminded by City boss Nigel Worthington that the Minstermen's central defensive core was one of the best in League One last season, the 26-year-old former Wycombe Wanderers captain relished his mission of seizing possession of a senior shirt.

After signing a two-year deal, Winfield said: "If I turned up at a football club to be told I would play every game no matter what, there would be no challenge in that.

"The challenge which fires me up is coming to a place where you have to battle for your place and achieve something in a competitive league. I have always liked competition."

Portsmouth-born Winfield revealed he had opted for City ahead of several other clubs after his release from Shrewsbury Town following their descent to the basement division from League One because of the club's leaders and ambitions.

"There's been a bit of interest this summer. I had the pick of a handful of clubs, but I just felt that in the conversations I had with Nigel and Jason (McGill, City's chairman) that I really wanted to come here," admitted the centre-back, who made 100 appearances for his first club Aldershot and almost the same tally for Wycombe, whom he joined in 2010 in a £25,000-plus deal.

"Sometimes it is about the people you are going to work with as much as the club you are going to," he explained.

"The club have good aspirations. They narrowly missed out in the play-offs last season,so I hope to be achieving great things now that I'm here."

Winfield said ever since he started out as a defender for the Shots he had always been imbued with a fierce will to achieve, citing that as one of his strengths.

"I have a personal desire to achieve things and that means being at a club where they share the same expectations like here at York. That's where I want to be."

Of his playing attributes Winfield said: "I am a no-nonsense centre-half, aggressive and dominant in the air and hopefully good in both boxes.

"I do like to add a few goals to my season. I average about three or four goals a year and while I know that my main job is to defender then if I can contribute a few goals, that will be a bonus."

City boss Worthington affirmed how he had explained to his new addition how the Lowe-McCombe axis had been the cornerstone of the club's dogged run to the play-offs last term.

"I told Dave that the two lads were superb last season and that they are two of the best centre-halves in the whole of the division," said Worthington.

"He knows exactly what the situation is but he is very, very much up for the competition. He is delighted to be here and I am delighted to have him at Bootham Crescent."

Worthington's push to acquire Winfield ensured that with Lowe, McCombe and the return from injury of Daniel Parslow, City would have four quality and experienced central defenders to call upon.

"That can only boost the strength of the club and the team," added Worthington.

"We are putting together a group which I think will be pretty strong. It's always good to have two players per position keep everybody on their toes.

"That's always been the case in my career and I have carried that through into management."