AUSTIN Buchanan is under no illusions that he will have to fight for his place in York City Knights' team – but that's just the way he likes it.

Buchanan, who re-signed for the club in the off-season after a decade at Dewsbury Rams, is on the comeback trail following a hernia operation.

But while fans could expect him to be a first-choice winger when back to full fitness, the 31-year-old himself reckons he – like anyone else in James Ford's squad – will have to earn his place on merit, not on name.

Furthermore, that is one of the reasons he wanted to rejoin the club.

"I didn't want to go to a club that wasn't going to challenge me," said Buchanan, who is likely to miss the pre-season friendlies this month but could be fully fit for the iPro Sport Cup opener at Hunslet in February 21.

"I want a club with ambition and where I will have to fight for my place, not just walk into the team. I want to be shown that I have to try my best and work hard to get into the team."

With Ben Dent set to miss the start of the season after being told by doctors to rest a head injury, Buchanan is likely to face competition for a wing berth at the start of term from Nev Morrison, youngster Adam Dent and utility back Tyler Craig.

Ford has also signalled his intention to sign another outside back following the departure this week of Jordan Grayston.

Buchanan warned his young pretenders: "I always want to train hard. I think I've got two or three years left and I don't want it to be an easy three years.

"I want to push myself and push for trophies and to win things. There'd be nothing better than to help York get back into the Championship."

Buchanan – brother of Leeds Rhinos veteran Jamie Jones-Buchanan, who incidentally will be the compere alongside guest speaker Jamie Peacock at the Knights' sportsman's dinner on Friday, January 29 – first joined York in mid-2004 from London Broncos.

He went on to win the Young Player of the Year award after bagging 15 tries in 16 appearances that year.

His second season was ruined by a broken arm, the winger finishing with two tries in four games of the club's National League Two title-winning campaign, but he showed enough to bag a move back to Super League with Wakefield.

He returned to York on loan for the second half of 2006, notching five touchdowns in 12 National League One appearances, before switching to the Rams.

Getting among the tries again at the club where he first made his name is another wish – as long as the team are winning.

"I always like to score a fair few tries and personally I'd love to be top try-scorer in a high-scoring team," said Buchanan.

"But I'm sure there will be be other players who will want to go for that as well. Yet as long as the team are winning and I'm doing my job well and playing my part, then I'll be happy."

On his try-scoring targets, Buchanan added: "I tend to set personal goals as each game goes by – week by week, rather than one overall goal – especially at this stage of my career.

"It can be hard to set long-term goals and I've realised setting them bit by bit is better for me.

"If we get promoted, I will be happy. Our goal has to be to get promoted, whether it's first or second to go up. Anything less would be a disappointment."

To aid success, Buchanan reckons a happy camp will be a winning camp. To that end, he said: "I want us to work hard and have a laugh and a joke as well.

"I try to be part of that and to get a good atmosphere. A good team spirit in the changing rooms can go a long way to a team achieving their goals.

"A happy team is a winning team and if I can get that in the changing rooms, we can be firing on all cylinders on the pitch."