FORMER York City favourite Jon Maloney is targeting a return to KitKat Crescent.

Despite playing as a centre-back, Maloney scored four goals in 13 league appearances for City to help stave off the threat of relegation from the Conference in 2005 during a loan spell from Doncaster Rovers.

Now, having enjoyed a record-breaking four years in American College football, the converted striker is hoping City manager Martin Foyle will give him a second chance to impress as a Minsterman.

Maloney, 24, has been invited back to Championship outfit Doncaster for pre-season training at the end of this month but admitted his main ambition is to secure a pre-season trial with City.

He told The Press: “I really enjoyed my time at York four years ago and feel I had a really good relationship with the fans and players.

“I still believe I have a lot to prove in England and I would love to do that with York. The club would be my first choice without a doubt.”

During four years as a sports science student at the University of Montevallo, Maloney became the Gulf South Conference’s all-time top scorer by netting his 70th goal with two games left to play.

He also captained the team to the last four in the National Colleges Championship during his third year, made the All-American Colleges select team and was nominated for the Major League Soccer draft only to miss out because of the limit on overseas players.

The former Doncaster juniors’ captain, who counts City pair Michael Ingham and Craig Nelthorpe as former team-mates, also believes he has returned to his Wetherby home a stronger and better player.

He added: “The standard of football in America was better than when I was playing at reserve-team level for Doncaster.

“There were two or three teams that weren’t very good but the rest were really strong.

“When we reached the national stages, we were playing against physical sides and a lot of Brazilians. My kinesiology degree was also PE-based and concentrated a lot on movement of the body.

“We did a lot of nutrition courses and, after Christmas, we worked hard on conditioning.

“Before I left England, I was always a couple of years behind players physically and felt I would hit my peak at 23 or 24.

“Going over to America and playing and training regularly has certainly helped in that respect.”

After his heroics in front of goal across the Atlantic, Maloney is now in no doubt as to his best position on the pitch either.

He said: “I’m definitely a centre forward now but I feel playing at the back has helped me make the transition because I know all the runs to make that I didn’t like as a defender.”