York City Knights favourite Darren Callaghan is set to return to amateur club York Acorn in the off-season - and he might be going for good.

The 29-year-old utility ace, who has played more games for the Knights than any other player, is currently mulling over the offer of a new deal at Huntington Stadium but says he needs time out of the professional zone to consider his future.

He will switch to Thanet Road once his commitments with the Knights' triumphant 2005 National League Two campaign are over, and is likely to combine playing with a coaching role alongside boss Eric Fitzsimons.

The move, with which he hopes to bolster promoted Acorn's bid for success in their first season in National Conference division one, will initially be for the National League off-season.

He said: "I might play a few games - if selected - and I've been asked to do some coaching down there. I want to give things that I've learnt in the professional ranks to the set-up at Acorn. I started out at Acorn and I want to give something back and also get into coaching.

"It's for the off-season initially. I'll have a couple of months out of the professional arena and have some craic with the lads at Acorn and see what happens."

He added: "It's a lot of commitment again (to play in National League One) and I need a bit of time out to think about things."

Callaghan's first game as a professional was with home-town club York Wasps back in 1996 though his career took off three years later - following BARLA Great Britain honours as an Acorn player - when he was a 31-game ever-present at Huntington Stadium, playing mainly at half-back.

He totalled 55 appearances for the Wasps, scoring 15 tries, before having spells at Hull KR, Gateshead Thunder and Sheffield Eagles.

He returned to his home-town club, signing for the Knights ahead of their first-ever season, in 2003. He finished that campaign as the club's joint-top try-scorer with 14 and also won the Supporters' Club's Most Improved Player award.

Try-scoring exploits have waned in the last two years but he has remained a virtual ever-present in the last two seasons playing mainly in the back-row or at centre.

In total, he has made 79 appearances for the club, scoring 26 tries, and says winning LHF National League Two this term has been a wonderful highlight.

"I've never won anything like that before and if I do go out, it's nice to go out on such a winner like that," he said.

York City Knights Supporters' Club will be running a bus to Friday's away game at Sheffield, kick off 8pm. It will pick up at Huntington Stadium only, leaving 5.15pm. Prices to be confirmed. To book, call 07958 569266.

Updated: 10:31 Tuesday, September 06, 2005