YORK City’s new right-back Duane Courtney believes he has joined a club that can match his desire for League football.

Courtney, 25, has signed for the Minstermen after turning down a new contact offer with mid-table Blue Square Premier rivals Kidderminster, where he spent last season.

He feels the Bootham Crescent club present a better prospect for promotion and a platform from which he can relaunch his career.

Courtney started out as a Premier League hopeful at Birmingham City but left St Andrews without making a senior appearance.

He went on to drop into non-League football with Telford, where Burnley beat Wolves to his signature by splashing out £25,000 for his services.

Courtney, then 20, enjoyed seven outings, including one full game, for the Clarets in the Championship and also played at Aston Villa in the League Cup but left after one season, joining Welsh club The New Saints for three years before moving to Kidderminster last summer.

Despite leaving Turf Moor in 2006, Courtney, pictured, still harbours ambitions of playing at the same level as his former club and believes City can help him achieve that goal.

He said: “I had a few options after deciding I didn’t want to stay at Kidderminster but York are a strong team who are looking to get back into the League and that goes hand in hand with what I want. I’ve had a taste of Championship football with Burnley and would like another taste.

“I could do that with York or, maybe, move on again because I’m looking to kick-start my career again. I had a bit of a blip after Burnley but being at Kidderminster and having a good season has given me that hunger again.

“I could see that same desire in York when I played against them last season. They are disappointed from missing out on promotion but, hopefully, we can achieve that next season.”

Courtney added that the Minstermen’s miserly defensive record last season of 26 clean sheets also appealed to him as he was weighing up his options for 2010/11.

He said: “I love strong defences. It always looks good on your CV going from season to season.

“I’ve always wanted to be part of that kind of consistency and we lacked it at Kidderminster last season. We had some good performances but we had some bad ones too.

“We were so up and down and you did not know what would happen from game to game.”

City boss Foyle has stated that Courtney will bring athleticism to the right-back role and, while reluctant to be drawn on his qualities, the 5ft 11in defender said: “I can run for 90 minutes up and down and get forward quite well, as well as getting back.

“I’m strong, quick and quite good in the air for my height. There are obviously things I need to improve on but I use the strengths I have to help me through games.”

Courtney is not fazed by a move away from his Midlands roots either, adding: “I’ve not played with anybody here before.

“I met Richard Pacquette on holiday once but he’s obviously left the club now. I don’t know anybody but I like having a fresh start and getting to know everybody.”