JON Parkin has insisted anything less than promotion in 2018/19 would represent failure again for York City.

The 36-year-old forward has been left disappointed at the end of the Minstermen’s last two league campaigns, with relegation from the National League in 2017 following an underwhelming mid-table finish in the regionalised sixth tier of the English game.

Prior to Parkin’s return to Bootham Crescent, City also plummeted out of the Football League under Jackie McNamara and the former Championship campaigner is in no doubt that only one outcome would represent a successful campaign during a second season of National League North football.

“The target for everybody in the team is promotion – that’s the be all and end all,” Parkin declared. “If we don’t achieve that, it will be another failed year no matter how many goals I score.”

Parkin netted 25 times last term despite missing nine of the final 12 fixtures due to a two-match suspension followed by a knee injury.

He finished the campaign without a goal in seven matches after claiming his quarter-century during a mid-January win against Bradford Park Avenue, but the ex-Stoke and Hull forward is looking to beat his 2017/18 haul as he eyes his next personal landmark with 221 professional career goals currently to his name.

“The next target is 250 goals and, hopefully, I can get to that this season,” the Barnsley-born behemoth explained.

Parkin might be in his twilight years, as he turns 37 at the end of December, but he is hoping that the work put in at City’s Wigginton Road training base prior to the National League North curtain-raiser at Chorley will prove beneficial over the next nine months.

“It’s been my 20th pre-season and they’re not the same as they used to be,” he added. “You used to run around fields and, when I was at Stoke, Tony Pulis made us run up hills, so I prefer how they are now, but they’re still tough.

“It’s not a nice time of the year, but it’s so important that you do it, so you get your head down and crack on and, as long as we’re fit for the first game of the season, that’s all that matters.”

Parkin has also been handed some coaching responsibilities this season by City boss Martin Gray and will assist new youth-team manager Sam Collins, as the club compete in the Wednesday afternoon National Under-19 Alliance League for the first time.

“I’ve been concentrating on getting fit for now but, when the season is up and running, I will do some coaching,” Parkin revealed. “I did my badges over the summer, so I need to do some coaching to get them passed off.

“I’ll be working with the youngsters. Sam Collins has come in as the new youth-team manager and I know him well because I played with him at Hull, so I’m sure I can go in, help him out and learn from him.

“He is down to earth, hard-working and he will get the best out of the players – I can guarantee you that.”