YORK City midfielder Russ Penn believes he has plenty of football left in his legs after racking up his 600th career appearance.

The ex-Cheltenham campaigner reached the impressive personal landmark as a 77th-minute substitute during the Minstermen’s 4-2 National League North triumph over Guiseley at the weekend.

Penn made his senior debut at the age of 20 for Kidderminster during a 0-0 draw against his current club at Aggborough in 2005 when Dave McGurk, Darren Dunning and Andy Bishop were all in the visitors’ side.

But, while that trio have long since hung up their professional boots, Penn is busy pointing out that he is not as old as many people seem to think!

“I try to remind people I’m still only 32, because they seem to think I’ve been around for longer and put me in the (Jon) Parkin bracket,” Penn joked.

“But I still feel fit and I’m enjoying myself and still want to contribute to the team. It’s a great achievement really to get to 600 and, when I made my debut against York ironically, I didn’t think I’d get to this many appearances.

“Me and Simon Heslop were playing together as young lads that day funnily enough and, since then, I’ve had a bit of luck, because I haven’t had too many injuries and I’ve had some good managers. I still feel fit and I live right and eat right.

“I also had kids when I was young and that probably benefitted my career massively because, with settling down, all my night-clubbing stopped early on!”

Penn, meanwhile, has already made more outings from the bench - three - since rejoining City in the summer than he did during his two-and-a-half year previous stint at Bootham Crescent from January 2014 to the summer of 2016. During that time, he kicked off 105 matches and came on as a sub twice.

Last season, in the division above, the ex-England C international also started more league games (36) than any of his Gateshead team-mates, other than ex-City midfielder Paddy McLaughlin (42) and Neill Byrne (39), with Penn, who started caretaker boss Sam Collins’ first two matches in charge before serving a one-match ban for a red card against Blyth, keen to secure a place back in the first XI.

“The sending off didn’t help, but such things happen unfortunately and I’ve got to try my best and get back in the team,” Penn reasoned. “The more I push the better the team will play too.

“Not playing is a bit unusual for me and, whilst it’s frustrating, I’m ready when needed to give it my all for whoever is in charge.”

Penn is an old adversary of Collins from the pair’s Football League playing days and the former has been impressed with the latter’s transition from under-18 chief to the first-team dugout, reasoning: “He’s been manager for six weeks and knows what we are about.

“I’ve played against Sam a few times back in the day and he knows what I’m about too. He’s taken to the job like a duck to water.

“Results have picked up and he’s brought a new philosophy that the lads are enjoying.”

Penn was a key figure in 2013/14 when City transformed a season which, at its mid-point, looked destined to become a slog to preserve Football League status, but finished with a narrow play-off semi-final defeat against Fleetwood.

He now feels a win tomorrow at Nuneaton can provide the launchpad for better fortunes during the current campaign, declaring: “Back-to-back league wins could kickstart our season going into the colder months.”