FORMER York City favourite Dan Parslow and striker Amari Morgan-Smith have arrived on loan at Bootham Crescent from League Two Cheltenham with a view to making their stays permanent in the summer.

Parslow, 31, has rejoined the Minstermen, having racked up 316 appearances and scored four goals during a previous nine-year stint at the club, which ended with his release in 2015.

The two-time Press Player of the Year winner went on to become a mainstay in Cheltenham’s title-winning campaign last term and has made 29 appearances at Football League level for the Gloucestershire side this season before losing his place after a 2-1 home defeat to Barnet on Boxing Day.

Morgan-Smith, 27, scored five times in 27 games for Cheltenham in 2015/16 and has netted twice in 25 outings this season, but only started seven matches.

The 6ft attacker’s previous clubs include Luton, Macclesfield, Kidderminster and Oldham and both players will be eligible for Saturday’s FA Trophy second round trip to Harlow.

City boss Gary Mills has acted quickly to replace Aarran Racine and Rhys Murphy following their return to parent club Forest Green and he said: “I don’t really have to tell the people of York anything about Dan Parslow, but I think he’s playing his best football ever.

“He got promoted with Cheltenham last season and got in the division’s Team of the Year, so he was the best centre back in the league and, to get him back here, can only be a good thing. He was incredible for them when I saw him with the amount of times he stuck his head on the ball and put his neck on the line in the six-yard box.

“He still lives in York, has the club close to his heart and he’s so happy to be back. Everyone knows they will get 100 per cent honesty from Dan, which is what we need and he’s a nice guy who just gets on with his job.

“Amari is another one who got promoted with Cheltenham and has played in League Two this season. He scored against Leicester under-23s in the Checkatrade Trophy this week and he’s an excellent player to come in and help us.

“He’s a goalscorer who likes to get in behind defences and he knows this level. He’s moved his family up here, because he doesn’t want to be travelling, so he’s showing total commitment with a view to being part of what we’ll be next season.

“I must thank Gary Johnson for allowing them to come to us until the end of the season and they are two good lads to fill Aarran and Rhys’ boots. They’re on loan until the end of the season, but with the view that there will be the chance of a contract for next season, because they’re both free agents in the summer, so negotiations have taken place with that in mind.”

Mills went on to add that he had an option to keep Murphy at Bootham Crescent, but it would have entailed a greater financial outlay and Morgan-Smith was also a more attractive alternative.

“Forest Green said we could keep Rhys, but they wanted more money for him to stay and we were paying decent money anyway,” Mills explained. “I also knew about Amari and decided I wanted to go down that route, because I’ve always liked him.

“Cask (City football consultant Darren Caskey) also had him at Ilkeston when he was assistant manager before everyone wanted to take him, so he knows him really well too, which helps.”