WES York has admitted he has sympathy for his old club Nuneaton’s current plight, but insisted he won’t be feeling sentimental when he looks to add to their misery this weekend.

The York City winger was given his first break in senior football by Nuneaton in the Conference back in 2012 at the age of 19.

He went on to score 12 goals in 91 appearances for the Warwickshire outfit during a two-season spell and, therefore, retains a fondness for the club who are currently facing the threat of extinction due to off-field debts.

The bottom-of-the-table visitors will also arrive at Bootham Crescent 17 points adrift of National League North safety, but a professional York declared: “Obviously, I want them to get out of the mess they are in.

“They’ve been in this situation a few times so, hopefully, they’ll get out of it again but, for me, I’ve still got to do the job required and get the three points.

“Then, I hope they can improve after they’ve played us. That’s just football.”

Despite Nuneaton’s struggles, though, York has stressed that City will be in for a shock if they think their opponents, who have drawn their last two away fixtures, will be comfortably despatched.

“As players, we’ve all been in teams like that before where you’ve nothing to lose and, if anybody thinks they are going to be pushovers, they better think again,” the ex-Wrexham attacker reasoned.

“These games can turn out to be the toughest, so we need to respect them, but get the job done.

“It might be a bigger crowd than they are used to and they will want to try and prove a point because of who we are.”

York went on to suggest that morale within the Minstermen camp had immeasurably improved following the club’s first back-to-back wins in 13 months, even outside the first XI, where resentment about possibly been overlooked has lessened due to the side’s success.

“Players who aren’t in the team are happier, whereas before it was all ‘why am I not playing when we’re losing?’,” York pointed out.

“Now, we’re getting to the point where, even if you’re not playing in the starting XI, people are still buzzing for the team to be winning games.

“That’s what you want, because it means everybody is in it together and that helps the whole team.

“People in opposition for your place are coming up to you and saying ‘you’re doing well, keep it up’, rather than being silent and moping.”

With manager Steve Watson keen to establish playing partnerships in all areas of the pitch, having praised the performances of central-defensive duo David Mirfin and Sean Newton, York has also been pleased that his right-wing understanding with Kallum Griffiths has been reignited during the club’s last two wins.

The pair started all of the first five games of the campaign together, but only kicked off another four matches in the starting line-up, prior to being reunited on the flank during the first of those consecutive victories against Ashton United.

On their compatibility, York said: “Since we came to the club, me and Kall have always had a great connection and I don’t think we ever lost it.

“It’s just manager opinions, which you’re not in control of and I enjoy playing with him.”

York, who arrived in North Yorkshire having plundered 47 goals in six Conference seasons for Nuneaton, Wrexham and Gateshead, has only hit the target twice this term for the Minstermen and is keen to contribute more in that respect between now and the end of he campaign, adding: “I have usually chipped in with goals wherever I have been and, with a good run of games and feeling at my fittest, I’m sure that I can again.”

After a spell playing as a wing-back under Watson both at Gateshead and with City, York also hopes operating more in the final third of the pitch, as part of the team’s current 4-2-3-1 formation, can only assist his desire to make an attacking impact.

“I’m quite adaptable and can play in a lot of positions, which can sometimes kill you, but the manager knows where my best position is and that’s high up the pitch,” York declared.

“I prefer to play on the right or left wing and where I can effect things.

“It’s harder when you’re getting the ball deeper and have to take three players on.

“Higher up the pitch, there’s just a left back or a right back to beat and that makes things easier for me.”