STRIKER George Purcell has become the running man in a bid to prove to York City boss Gary Mills he can make the grade in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

The former Braintree forward has been pounding the roads in the summer – running up to ten miles a day – to ensure he is at peak fitness for the forthcoming season following a nightmare first campaign at Bootham Crescent.

The 22-goal hitman in Essex, signed last summer by former Minstermen manager Martin Foyle, suffered an ankle injury early in the campaign and was out for nearly six months.

Loan moves to Eastbourne and Dartford followed as City pushed for the play-offs but Purcell has now returned to York and wants to prove he belongs at the club. “I have just been running every day for a good month and a half and making sure I didn’t eat any rubbish,” he said. “I was doing long distances and ten miles a day.

“I had a bad season last year and I just didn’t want to come back being unfit. Now, hopefully, I will get a chance.”

Reflecting on last season, Purcell revealed the seriousness of his ankle injury had forced him into surgery and added that Mills had challenged him in the off-season to prove his fitness and show him what he could do.

“I signed and pre-season went well,” he said. “I got the serious injury and it was just really disappointing from there – being out that long really killed my season.

“It was a ligament inside my ankle that tore. If I had not had an operation it wouldn’t have healed for two years. So I had to have the operation and, obviously, I was out for six months.

“The gaffer has not really seen me play, apart from the pre-season games so far this season, so hopefully I have come back a lot fitter.

“I have lost a lot of weight and I am hoping to show him what I am all about.

“I just want to score goals. Coming from Braintree, I scored a few goals there and I feel I can score goals in this league.

“Hopefully, I can get the chance.”

Added the striker: “I feel I can bring a lot of goals to the team. I just want to get fitter and fitter and prove it to the gaffer that I am a good player. He has told me to get myself fit, which I have done, and come back and prove to him what I am all about.

“That’s what I am going to do. Obviously I want to play as many games as I can, and take it all from there. I know I can do it.

“I have done a lot of work over the summer and I’d say it’s a new start for me.”