CALLUM Rzonca is happy to keep impressing from the York City bench as he presses his claim for a starting role.

The 19-year-old attacker spectacularly gave City the lead during Tuesday night’s 1-1 home draw against Guiseley with his first goal in senior football after entering the action as a second-half substitute.

Eight of Rzonca’s other nine outings for the Minstermen have also been from the dugout with his only first XI appearance coming in October’s 2-2 home draw with Chester.

But the youth-team graduate is content to bide his time, saying: “I want to be playing, but I’m happy to be coming on and making an impact, then hopefully I can get my start and push on.”

Rzonca rattled a powerful shot into the top corner from 20 yards to open his senior account in front of the David Longhurst Stand and, reliving that experience, he added: “It was an amazing feeling.

“I just saw the keeper was a bit to the left and thought I can bend the ball around him, so I put a bit of bend on it and it went in the top corner.”

The 59th-minute strike was cancelled out by Jake Cassidy’s reply for the visitors and, on the frustration of his goal not securing maximum points, Rzonca admitted: “It was obviously disappointing because we should have cleared the ball when it went into our box, but we’ve got to improve on that, as well as see games out better.”

City’s marksman also limped out of the action in stoppage time, but will be fit to face Tranmere tomorrow.

“About five minutes after I scored, I got a whack to my knee and I had pins and needles down the side of my leg,” he explained. “It felt a bit funny but the physio Jeff (Miller) explained I had twanged a nerve and it wasn’t serious.

“I felt it was at the time, so that was a relief, but I thought it was for the best that I came off, rather than not being able to run around or help the team.”