TOM Platt is determined to end his 52-game goal drought for York City next season.

The 21-year-old midfielder is ready to kick off his fourth campaign as a professional with the Minstermen and has made hitting that elusive net one of his chief targets.

Platt was always earmarked as a potential marksman coming through the ranks at Bootham Crescent and, prior to making his City debut, plundered nine goals in 21 appearances during three separate spells with Conference North outfit Harrogate Town.

Last term, he came close to breaking his Minstermen duck following a recall to the first team at Accrington after a four-month absence and Platt admitted: "I want to get my first goal quickly and, once I get that first one, I'll be up and running and then they will come easier.

"I feel that I'd have probably put the chance in at Accrington if I'd been on the pitch for more minutes, but it was one of my first touches and I do want to try and get a few goals next season."

Having been limited to 18 league starts during the last two campaigns, Platt is expecting another difficult contest for selection, with James Berrett having been recruited from Yeovil and Michael Coulson also utilised as an attacking midfielder in April following the team's switch to 3-5-2.

"It will be really tough to get in the team," Platt reasoned. "We've got some great players in the position and it's down to me to put in the performances during pre-season and impress the manager enough to play me in there.

"The competition looks really strong but it's good to set yourself challenges and I've got some good players to beat to get a place in the team. I want to get a lot more appearances under my belt and cement a place, as well as getting a few goals at the same time."

Platt was handed a new two-year deal in the summer of 2013, having played an important role in preserving City's Football League status after being given his debut at the club by former boss Nigel Worthington.

Having been part of the academy set-up since the age of ten, Platt was also in no mood to seek employment elsewhere when his contract was up for renewal this summer.

He went on to commit his future to the Minstermen for another 12 months after the relief of making Wilcox's retained list and added: "I didn't play an awful lot of games last season and you're always on edge when you're coming to the end of your contract, so I was obviously delighted when the gaffer offered me another year.

"I'm in my fourth season at the club now and am buzzing to have signed again. Hopefully, I can kick on next season.

"I was definitely not looking to go anywhere else. I love playing and being here.

"I have grown up at the club so I had no hesitation in signing a new contract when it was offered me."

Should next season, as planned, be the last at Bootham Crescent before the move to Monks Cross, Platt is also desperate to give the 83-year-old stadium a fitting farewell.

He said: "I've been involved in the youth system and watching York at Bootham Crescent since I was quite young so I've been going to the ground for a lot of years in my life. It will be really strange and emotional for a lot of people when we leave.

"There will be a lot of sadness and disappointment, but it will be a new start in a new stadium and, having seen the plans, it looks brilliant and it's really exciting. Hopefully, though, we will be in a good position towards the end of the season so we can have some very happy memories of our last one at Bootham Crescent."

Platt believes the key to achieving that goal will be beginning the campaign in better fashion than has been the case during the last two seasons.

Under Wilcox's predecessor Worthington, City managed just one win during the first 17 fixtures last term and one in the opening nine the one before.

"I think it's important to get off to a good start and carry on the form we showed towards the end of last season," Platt argued. "The last couple of years, we've been playing catch-up and, while we've risen to the occasion when needed both times, we've got to reproduce that form now at the start of a season to put ourselves in a better position."

The chances are Wilcox will intend to do so by employing a 3-5-2 formation, with Platt confessing he enjoys the freedom that set-up provides for a midfielder with his attacking inclinations.

"You maybe get a bit more time if you can find enough space for yourself in behind the strikers," he pointed out. "You also know you will get good service from the likes of Luke Summerfield and Russell Penn.

"I enjoyed playing in there and I thought the system also worked well for us."