Simon Wills backs Lancaster City for a play-off push next season

The 30-year-old, who lives in Southport, has decided to bring his long association with the Dolly Blues to the amount of travelling involved.

He would have preferred to have ended his final season in better circumstances, the club had to settle for a midtable spot after a difficult and challenging season.

But Wills believes manager Mark Fell has the nucleus of a strong squad and if they can add some quality particularly in attack then City can enjoy some success next season in the NPL Premier Division.

"I think the boss can take the club far, I really do,” said Wills.

"He is really good at getting the team going beforehand in the dressing room.

"Obviously I think he will need to add a couple more players in the striker areas and maybe a couple more defenders then I do think they have got a good chance to progress next season and get in the play-offs.

"Mark came in when we were at the bottom of the table and struggling.

"But we turned it around and went something like 15 games unbeaten at the end.

"That really pushed us on the following season and we were in the top six.

"I do think that we would have finished in the play-offs that season if it would have carried on but obviously Covid ended the season early.

"I think last season was difficult especially coming after Covid. We seemed to use quite a lot of players, but we ended doing quite well especially with some of the wins towards the end of the season.”

Wills has played under a number of managers in his time at Giant Axe, starting with Tony Hesketh before Michael Stringfellow and Neil Wainwright took over.

Former Newcastle and Blackburn defender Darren Peacock then took over but Wills had his best season when former Myerscough College mentor Phil Brown took charge.

The Dolly Blues won the NPL First Division North title in 2017.

"We had some great players that season,” he said. “It’s something I will always look back on with great memories," he said. "We had Jordan Connerton up front and when you have got a goalscorer like him up front, you’ve always got half a chance.