Mat Bailey aiming to repay AFC Telford

Bailey, who can play up front but prefers to play at centre-half, is set for his second spell with the Bucks after joining on a non-contract deal on Friday.

The 29-year-old spent the summer of 2013 at the New Bucks Head rehabilitating from a cruciate knee ligament injury under then-manager Liam Watson.

Upon his return to fitness, played a handful of games before departing to lower-league Nantwich in January 2014.

Bailey said: "I did my ACL in my knee and I was basically out for about 16 months, and then Liam promised he'd help me get fit.

"I did pre-season with the physio and did as much as I could with the first team, got fit and started playing.

"I feel I owe the club for taking me when I was injured and helping me get back to fitness."

He added: "The manager, Steve Kittrick, wants promotion and that is definitely a goal I share. That is one of the main reasons why I wanted to come back to the club."

"A club like Telford is always going to be pushing for promotion (in the Conference North) and they are always going to be up there so it is something that I want to be part of."

Bailey insists that his injury problems are now firmly behind him, and he finished last season as a mainstay in the Nantwich side.

He said: "I finished the season as strongly as I could playing pretty much every game and I have had no injury problems at all all season. I have put it behind me now."

The 6ft 5in centre-back added that Telford fans have yet to see the best of him during his last spell with the club.

But having been brought back to play as a defender he has vowed to change that this time around.