FORGOTTEN man Anthony Straker is hoping to persuade York City manager Russ Wilcox to start him for the first time during his 11-and-a-half-month reign at Bootham Crescent.

Straker was given his first substitute outing since the opening day of the season during Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Notts County and has not made the Minstermen's first XI since a 0-0 home draw with Luton more than a year ago.

But Wilcox has hinted that the 27-year-old winger might kick off tonight's home match with Oxford and the Grenada international has insisted his desire to succeed in North Yorkshire has never dimmed despite being overlooked for so long and farmed out on loan to Scottish Premier League outfit Motherwell for the final three months of last season.

He said: "From day one of coming here, I've had a great determination to get in the side. All I've ever done is give my all in training every day to put myself in the gaffer's thoughts, then it's up to him and the staff.

"Even when you're playing, you get highs and lows in football but, getting injured at the time when the manager came in, meant it was hard for him to play me when I came back so I ended up going out on loan but now, after going out on international duty, I'm back on track and working hard to fight for my spot. I want to work with the boys to try and get us up the right end of the table.

"This is the club I signed for and the one I want to be playing for. At the moment, I'm not looking at going out on loan again.

"If I'm not what the management staff want, then so be it, but I'm here to show what I can give and, hopefully, that's enough to get me a chance."

City switched to 4-3-3 when Straker was introduced at Meadow Lane and it is a system that he feels comfortable in, adding: "I played out wide as part of a three for the majority of my time at Southend under Phil Brown so it's nothing strange for me."

Like Wilcox, Straker regrets firing his late chance of an equaliser against Notts County into the near-post sidenetting but is now concentrating on ensuring he hits the target with his next opportunity in City colours.

"I felt the same as the gaffer about that miss," he confessed. "Going across the goal would have worked their keeper and, maybe, we could have got something from it but, for me, just being on the pitch trying to make something happen was a good thing.

"Any opportunity to be out there and a part of things is nice and, hopefully, if I get another opportunity, I can do better with it next time."

Straker also reckoned he benefitted from his two-legged World Cup qualifying appearances for Grenada earlier this month, playing a full 90 minutes in both games and scoring his country's goal with a penalty during the 6-1 aggregate defeat.

On his Caribbean sojourn, Straker added: "Going out there and playing football with those boys was something for me to look forward to. They play a bit differently to how the game is played in Europe - it's a bit slower with more passing and a little less direct - but, the way I see it, any football is good, no matter what the result.

"I think it's good to adjust to different ways of playing as a footballer and it can help you when you come back to your club side."

Straker also returned to the Minstermen buoyed by his first international goal.

It was the first penalty he has converted for club or country but insisted he was happy to assume the responsibility despite the tie being finely balanced at the time with his goal levelling the scores during the first leg.

"It was an unreal feeling to score in the national stadium," he declared. "It's one of those moments that might never happen again and, even if it does, no other goal will feel like the first one.

"For the penalty, I picked the ball up and said I wanted to take it. That's how it was really and I managed to put it away.

"I will always put myself forward in that situation. Sometimes, though, somebody is allocated them and you just have to hope you will get the nod to take one."