BACK in the fold Christian Fox is looking to sign off a season to forget with a flourish.

The young midfielder has been recalled from a loan spell in Northern Ireland and but for a slight ankle injury would have featured in the squad that beat Lincoln City 2-0 on Tuesday night.

With that knock now clearing up, Fox is thrilled to have bagged a place in the squad that travels to Macclesfield tomorrow in a match that could see City banish their lingering relegation fears once and for all.

Once safety is assured, the 20-year-old is looking to reaffirm his renaissance with some starting roles between now and the end of the season to end months of injury frustration.

Prior to his move across the Irish Sea to link up with Irish League first division outfit Larne, Fox had fallen from the first-team reckoning at Bootham Crescent.

It was a far cry from two seasons ago when Fox first burst on to the City scene with a series of barnstorming performances that had scouts flocking and Fox tipped for the Premiership.

A serious knee injury halted the former England youth squad member's progress last season, but this campaign was supposed to offer Fox a second coming.

A run of first team games in the autumn promised much, but since then Fox dropped out of the picture prompting fears his best has been and gone.

However, his time on foreign shores, albeit brief, has clearly done the trick with City manager Dolan commenting on his return to form and leading to his summons back to York.

Speaking to the Evening Press, Fox admitted his time in Ireland's footballing backwaters had sparked him back to life.

"I'm chuffed to be back. I thought it was very worthwhile and I'm now feeling a lot sharper," he said.

"It wasn't a bad standard - it wasn't the greatest but it wasn't poor - it was probably similar to playing in the reserves but with a bigger tempo.

"It was certainly a good move for me.

"I was willing to give anything a try to get my match fitness back. Playing in the reserves every week is okay but with not much at stake it can all be a bit nice. You can't compare it to playing competitive matches."

Fox, who would train with City in midweek before flying out to Ireland on a Friday, playing on Saturday before then returning home on Sunday, admitted his time with Larne had also provided him with some much needed pressure to prove himself.

In his short stint on the Emerald Isle, Fox played four games as Larne won two and drew one with Fox pulling the strings in midfield. He also managed to find the back of the net in one of the wins.

"In the last game I got a kick on the ankle so I came off after ten minutes. It's not too bad and I'm back running on it again. I hope to be kicking a few balls and if everything goes well I'm looking to get a place on the bench at the weekend," he said.

"It's nice to come back and be involved.

"I'm looking to get a few games under my belt between now and the end of the season and I'm certainly feeling a sharper and doing well in training."

Updated: 11:11 Friday, March 29, 2002