FORMER skipper Dan Parslow believes there are enough leaders to drag York City out of trouble following his return to Bootham Crescent.

Parslow, who had a spell donning the armband during his last stint at the club, was impressed by the on-pitch spirit during his second debut for the club, as City won 2-1 in the FA Trophy at Harlow.

He also believes the right manager in Gary Mills is in place to guide the current experienced group of players and deliver National League safety.

“Now I’m back, I will try and do my bit and be vocal, but we’ve got a few talkers,” Parslow pointed out. “Newts (Sean Newton) is very loud, Hessie (Simon Heslop) isn’t short of a word and nor is Laps (Simon Lappin).

“There are plenty of boys who will bark instructions, so I’m sure we won’t struggle in that department. We’re not in a great position in the league, but I still believe, along with everybody else, that we can get out of it.

“I’ve seen very quickly that there is a strong group here with boys who want to take things on board and do well for the football club. There are a couple of familiar faces I have played with before like Lanre (Oyebanjo) and Adriano (Moke), but I’ve also played against a lot of these chaps as well.

“We’ve all been around the League Two and Conference level and there’s an abundance of experience and quality at the club. The gaffer is also passionate and wants to drive us forward to get us out of the position we’re in and everybody is right behind him.

“He instils belief in players and lets them know their roles. He then expects people to do their jobs and makes things simple and, for me, if you know what you have to do when you go on to the pitch, it makes things a hell of a lot easier.

“I think we can push on and it would mean an awful lot if we can turn things around and, on a personal level, that’s my only priority at the moment. The lads got a good result at Dover which is a tough place to go to and, after Saturday’s win, we can, hopefully, take those results into the next game against Barrow.”

Parslow is also expecting fellow Cheltenham loan recruit Amari Morgan-Smith, who found the net on his debut at the weekend, will help the club’s cause with his honest endeavour.

“He gets in the right place at the right time and he’s got an eye for a goal but, when you’re in the position we’re in, you also need grafters and he’s not one to shy away from hard work,” Parslow said of the 27-year-old attacker. “You know what you’ll get from him every week and that’s vital, because you need people you can rely on, especially in the position we’re in and he’s one of those for sure.”

Parslow, himself, started where he left off with City by giving the kind of typically reliable display at Harlow, fans came to expect from him during his nine previous years of service, with the former Wales under-21 international modestly suggesting his familiarity with the manager and selected formation helped.

“It all happened very quickly in terms of the move, but I’ve played under the gaffer before and know what he’s all about,” Parslow reasoned. “We’ve also played a back three at Cheltenham all season, so that’s something I’m very familiar with anyway.

“Harlow had beaten Eastleigh in the previous round, so we were under no illusions as to how tough the game would be. The first half was a bit of a grind and we rode our luck at times but, in the second half, we settled down a bit and, once we got a couple of goals, it was nice to see the game out eventually.

“The artificial pitch wasn’t ideal, but it was the same for both teams and I thought we adapted reasonably well and it was all about getting the result, which we did.”

Having also played at right back and as a midfield anchorman in the past for the Minstermen, Parslow is now clearer about his best position.

“In my younger years, I was quite versatile and the gaffer used me in midfield, but I nailed down a centre-half spot at Cheltenham, so I’d probably say I’m an out-and-out centre-half now,” he explained.

* FOLLOWING the progress of both York City and Macclesfield Town in the Buildbase FA Trophy, the league fixture between the two teams has been rearranged.

The match at the Silkmen's Moss Rose stadium, originally scheduled for Saturday, February 4, will now take place on Tuesday March 7, kick-off 7.45pm.