YORK City will not be looking to recruit another senior goalkeeper to challenge for Adam Bartlett’s first-team place.

Instead, teenage shot-stopper Ryan Whitley will be promoted to the senior squad as back-up for 2018/19, following two seasons when Luke Simpson has fulfilled understudy duties.

Simpson, 23, only managed two starts and one substitute outing during that period, playing second and sometimes third fiddle to the likes of Scott Flinders, Kyle Letheren, Scott Loach, Jon Worsnop, Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Adam Bartlett.

The latter is now firmly Martin Gray’s first choice as the club search for some stability in the vital position and, with the City chief having released Simpson at the end of last season, he is not considering recruiting new senior competition for the number-one shirt during the next National League North campaign.

Whitley has previously gone on trial at Premier League champions Manchester City and attended England youth training camps, whilst he gained his first taste of competitive senior football during a loan spell at Whitby Town last season.

Ex-Kidderminster net-minder Bartlett, meanwhile, also worked under Gray at their previous club Darlington and, on his goalkeeping decision, the City manager said: “I’m looking to keep Ryan around the squad now.

“We are really happy with Adam Bartlett and, if there was an emergency, you can always look to the loan market and bring in somebody from the Premier League or the Championship, as we did this season with Bailey Peacock-Farrell at Leeds.

“I think I would rather put my money into improving the top end of the pitch and spend it more effectively. I don’t see a purpose at this level to pay a lump of money to somebody who will sit on the bench and I would rather have a kid on there.”