ON-LOAN winger Adam Smith is confident Gainsborough Trinity will allow him to join York City permanently in the New Year.

Smith, 23, has a gentleman’s agreement with Gainsborough boss Steve Charles stating that the Blue Square North side will not stand in his way should the chance arise for him to break back into professional football.

The former Chesterfield player is now waiting for Charles to honour his word and sanction a free transfer move to KitKat Crescent.

Smith dropped out of the full-time game when hamstring problems over the summer meant trials at Darlington and Wrexham were aborted after he failed to make Saltergate’s retained list at the end of last season.

On the advice of City boss Martin Foyle, then a coach at Wrexham, Smith signed for Gainsborough after the transfer window closed in a bid to regain fitness.

Having seen Smith score twice and win three man-of-the-match awards with the Minstermen, Foyle is now ready to offer the Bradford-born attacker a contract until the end of the season when his one-month loan stay expires on January 6.

About that possibility, Smith said: “I’ve really enjoyed my time at York City and I’m looking forward to extending my contract and improving my game further by training full-time.

“I have a good, honest relationship with Steve Charles at Gainsborough and he totally accepts my situation as we shook hands on a gentleman’s agreement before I signed for them.

“We agreed that I could go on loan or sign permanently if a team from a higher league came in for me.

“Steve Charles has a good name in the game and I trust him 100 per cent that something will get sorted out sooner rather than later.”

Smith also abandoned a sports massage course to join City on loan and admitted he is determined to take his second chance of carving out a career in the game.

He said: “It was a blow what happened after leaving Chesterfield. If you time your injuries badly in football and miss pre-season, you can’t get in the shop window.

“Time was against me when I was on trial as I was trying to get fit, but I couldn’t get my hamstrings right.”

But Smith has made a full recovery now and also appears to boast the mental strength Foyle is looking for from his players during the second half of their Blue Square Premier campaign.

The City boss believes certain players at the club are “scared” of their own supporters but Smith said: “I’m only conscious of playing football when I go out onto the pitch. I don’t really notice the fans – I never have done.”

Admitting that he is as comfortable on the right or left wing as he is down the middle, Smith added that he has enjoyed the freedom offered to him by City’s recent 4-3-3 formation.

He said: “I enjoyed dropping deeper and getting on the ball, which you need someone to do when you are playing as a three.”