MIDFIELDER Adam Reed has declared his desire to be a York City player next season.

The 23-year-old is out of contract after returning to the Minstermen in January but has stressed he is keen to extend his second spell at the club.

Reed, who made 21 appearances as City swept into the League Two play-offs, said he would be talking to both manager Nigel Worthington and chairman Jason McGill but, when asked whether he would like to stay at Bootham Crescent, he said: “Definitely. Nigel has done a lot for me and obviously helped me to have a platform to play my football.

“I have the utmost respect for him and I admire him as a man and a manager. York is a brilliant club and, if the deal is the right one, I will be playing here next season.”

Looking back at Friday night’s 0-0 draw at Fleetwood Town, which meant Reed and his team-mates lost by a single goal on aggregate in the two-legged League Two play-off semi-final, the Hartlepool-born player felt York didn’t “get the luck”.

“Everyone is disappointed because we did so well,” he said. “I think that’s the even bigger blow for us. We just didn’t get the rub of the green, or maybe that bounce, but overall the lads did themselves proud.

“Unfortunately, we just didn’t get the goal we needed. I think we were on the front foot from the first whistle. Everyone worked hard together, both individually and as a team. We pressed them much better in this leg and we created chances. That’s football, I guess.

“We knew they were on the back foot and we knew they would sit on the goal and we had a lot of the ball, were pressing them and they were making mistakes.

“We knew that if we kept on going we could definitely go on and win the tie but we just ran out of time in the end.

“The gaffer said if we were going to go out then go out with no regrets and leave everything on the pitch. I think the lads did that. The fans can be proud of that.”

Reed is aware that expectations, both at the club and among the supporters, will be much higher next season after their run of just one defeat in 19 brought them to the brink of Wembley.

But, far from being cowed by that, the former Sunderland prospect is excited about the challenge that lies ahead.

He said: “Since Christmas, bringing in the players the gaffer has, expectations will be much higher for us next season. I think we are going to build on this and this disappointment is going to drive us on to want to get better next season.

“If we build on this, hopefully we won't have to taste the play-offs next season and will go up automatically.

“You need challenges in football. You don’t want to just rest on your laurels, becoming an average player in a average team. You want to push on and become the best you can be.

“The gaffer knows what we have done in the second half of the season. He is not going to let us take our foot off the gas.

“If we pick up where we left off from the last six months of the season then I think we can do really well.

“The lads are obviously disappointed but, from where we were six months ago - 22nd in the league - the performances we have been putting in have made us proud.

“Hopefully we can go that one better next season.”