One of York City's success stories has returned to his home-town club in their hour of need.

Centre-half Lee Grant has joined the Minstermen from Premiership big-guns Aston Villa for a month's loan - and is ready to do his bit to get York back on track.

The 18-year-old said: "It's nice being back home. There are a few of the lads I used to play with who are now in the first team like Bryan Stewart.

"My aim here at York is to try and get into the first team and get playing. Hopefully I can help dig them out of the situation they are in as they are obviously having a bad time at the moment.

"And there's always a chance that someone might see me and I'll get another opportunity to start again as a result."

Grant became the second youngest ever player to play for the Minstermen when he replaced now Pickering Town manager Alex Mathie in the 89th minute against Bristol Rovers aged just 16 years and 116 days.

City won 3-0 in that April 2002 match and three months later, the former Huntington School pupil signed up for the Aston Villa scholarship programme in a deal worth £50,000 to York City in compensation.

Since being with the top-tier club, Grant has made several appearances for the reserves and has turned out for England under-18s despite only just being in his third scholarship year. He also featured in last season's FA Youth Cup final.

But a shake-up in the youth system and manager David O'Leary's playing policy has left him on the fringes - opening the door to a return to York.

He said: "I was at York until I was 16 and then I signed for Villa and I'm in my third year there now.

"Unfortunately, the youth set-up has been changed. There used to be teams at under-17 and under-19, but now they've been rolled into one at under-18, which I am a day too old for.

"The gaffer wants everyone to play so anyone not in the first team plays in the reserves and it's difficult for me to get a game."

The tall centre-half looked a class apart in Monday night's reserve match at home to Doncaster Rovers with good control and distribution, and Grant says he is aware of his physical attributes.

"I'm 6ft 2in and I'm left sided as well," he said. "So that makes me quite different to a lot of the other players around and I use it to my advantage where I can."

Caretaker manager Viv Busby said: "Chris (Brass) phoned Villa and got him up to give us another body.

"It was interesting to see him in action for the reserves.

"It will be good to see what he's capable of. We've got another reserve game on Monday so we'll get another look at him then."

Updated: 10:30 Thursday, November 11, 2004