AFC Telford want an answer on Neill Byrne
Manager Steve Kittrick won't not wait forever for AFC Telford United defender Neill Byrne to commit to the club – as he prepared to unveil the signing of a centre-back.
Byrne, 22, who has a year left on his contract, has told Kittrick he wants to return to the full-time game.
But the former Republic of Ireland Under-19 international hasn't had the level of interest he wanted.
And the Bucks boss wants him to make his mind up by the time the players return for the start of pre-season training a week on Saturday.
Kittrick said: "We don't know what's happening with him, at the moment.
"We are getting noises that he wants to stay, but we need to know soon as we start pre-season training a week on Saturday. I've got to speak to his agent but, as far as we know, he's had a couple of enquiries.
"Neill wants full-time football but we've had no enquiries yet so we're expecting him to report back for pre-season, along with Sean Clancy, Mike Grogan, Adam Farrell and Jack Rea from last season."
Byrne has had two eventful seasons at the New Bucks Head since being released by Rochdale in June 2013, scoring five times in 79 games.
Winning the Conference North in his first campaign, he suffered relegation from the Premier last season. Kittrick believes Byrne would be best served by staying put.
The Bucks chief said: "I've told him I want him to stay and it might be naive of him to think of going, because people are telling me he played his best football for Telford after Christmas.
"We gave him a free run to express himself, so he should come and start with us, see where we are in January and a door may open for him."
Byrne is one of the five remaining players from last term. Kittrick has supplemented them with 11 signings.
They are James Montgomery, Tom Thorley, Jay Denny, Neil Harvey, Matt Bailey, Josh Brizell, Danny O'Callaghan, Jordan Goddard, Kyle Brownhill, Johnny Gorman and Dave Hibbert.
