YORK City summer signing Michael Ingham has no intention of still being a Blue Square Premier goalkeeper this time next year.

Ingham, 27, kicked off his professional career with Sunderland and, over the last nine years, has played all his football at Championship, League One or League Two level, including a four-month spell with City during the second half of the 2002/03 season.

He had the opportunity to stay in the Football League after overtures from a number of clubs following his release by Hereford United, but the lure of a two-year contract at KitKat Crescent proved a crucial factor.

Ingham, who will get married on Saturday, also believes his ambitions for a short-lived stay in non-League football provide a perfect match for those of the Minstermen.

He said: "The big thing for me was the way (managing director) Jason McGill and Colin Walker sold the club to me. I'm coming to a team that won't accept defeat and want to get promoted.

"If I hadn't heard those type of things, I wouldn't have signed. I want to be playing League Two football in the second year of my contract and Colin's said he wants the same.

"The temptation of a two-year contract was a big plus because I could have signed for League Two clubs but only for one year. Knowing how nice the place is from my last spell also helped make up my mind."

Having watched from the bench as Hereford followed up last spring's Conference play-off triumph with promotion to League One at the first attempt, Ingham also heralded his old club as an example of what can be achieved by City.

He said: "When I was here before, we only just missed out on the League Two play-offs and we are a big club at Blue Square Premier level."