Aussie ace welcomes reunion with City strike pals

10:40am Friday 4th July 2008

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SUMMER signing Daniel McBreen believes a settled strikeforce can help fire York City to success next season.

McBreen is the only new forward to be recruited by manager Colin Walker during the close season and even he spent a month on loan with the Minstermen from Scunthorpe last autumn.

The 31-year-old Australian believes familiarity will mean City’s five-strong front-line will suffer few teething problems come their Blue Square Premier curtain-raiser at Crawley Town on August 9, compared to last summer when Clayton Donaldson had left the club and new arrivals Onome Sodje, Chris Beardsley and Paul Brayson were all vying for starting places.

Sodje and Craig Farrell both bagged braces playing alongside McBreen during his four-week stay last term.

Ex-Newcastle Benfield attacker Richard Brodie also partnered him briefly, while converted forward Martyn Woolford featured in all five of the matches McBreen played for City.

The 6ft 1in striker said: “I thought we did quite well as forwards when I was last here. I played with Sodje quite a bit and enjoyed that.

“Faz was injured when I first came but we played together at the end of my spell at Farsley and I had a good understanding with him in training. Hopefully, knowing how each other plays will help all four or five of us have a good impact now.”

McBreen also added that he had no hesitation in signing for the Minstermen despite a change in manager since his last spell at the club.

Former assistant Walker replaced Billy McEwan only a fortnight after McBreen was recalled to Scunthorpe in November, but the Antipodean ace said: “It only took me a day to decide to come back here after the gaffer rang me.

“I found Colin really easy to get along with when I was here before. He’s a bit different to Billy who was very highly strung. Colin’s more easy-going with plenty of other good qualities. He always had an input in training and I personally like working with somebody who’s laid back at the right times.”

Following his release by Scottish first division side St Johnstone at the end of last season, McBreen spoke to a number of clubs north of the border and also trained with a couple of Australian teams last month before committing his future to City.

He said: “I enjoyed it here last time and I have a place in Leeds, where my girlfriend’s from, so it was also a good move from a lifestyle perspective. I trained with a couple of teams when I was back home, but that didn’t pan out as I thought it would, so I was pleased to come back to England for now.”

McBreen’s five starts for City were more than he managed in 18 months at Scunthorpe and half a season with St Johnstone. Injuries have hampered his progress over the last two campaigns, but McBreen now believes he has a clean bill of health, saying: “I had a cartilage clean up on my knee while I was in Australia so that’s sorted and hopefully it will be all systems go now.

“I’ve had a bit of bad luck with injuries and it’s been tough trying to get a consistent run, but I’m champing at the bit to get going now. I want a full season under my belt and hopefully get into a promotion place. That’s what everybody’s aspiring to and it would be nice to bang in a few goals and set some up along the way.”