YORK City midfielder Simon Rusk is hoping his new club can become the second team he has helped win promotion to the Football League.

Rusk was a member of the Boston side that clinched the Conference title in 2002 and, having spent the last five seasons as a League Two player, he aims to return to that level as soon as possible.

The former Peterborough trainee was only 20 when he played 27 times during Boston's championship-winning season, but hopes his experience can now help City mount a successful promotion challenge - if not this season, then next.

He said: "We won the Conference title in my first full season at Boston and I played a big part in that. I've had the experience of being in a winning side and, hopefully, I can add to York City's push to get back in the Football League.

"I've spent most of my career in the League and if I could win promotion for a second time at York that would be great. The main thing that strikes me about York is it's a club with ambition and that's important to me.

"I wanted to come to a club with ambition and, having spoken to Colin Walker and Jason McGill, I was convinced this is a club that want to get back where they belong."

Rusk, now 26, played little part as Boston's five-year stint as a league club ended in relegation last season. He was restricted to just four outings largely due to injury and joined Northwich in the summer, when he was briefly reunited with former Boston team-mate Neil Redfearn, who subsequently departed as the Cheshire club's manager early in the season.

Rusk then had a spell on the transfer list and went out on loan to Rushden before the opportunity came to sign for City.

He said: "I hadn't been playing much last season because of injury and, as good a club as Northwich are, I regarded going there as a stepping stone to get back playing. Rushden came in for me and I went there, but that wasn't for me.

"I then had a few offers when the window opened but, when it transpired York were in for me, I knew straight away I wanted to be here because I wanted to get my career moving again."

After his part in Boston's 2002 triumph, Rusk also feels that there are three necessary qualities for success in the highest echelon of non-League football. He said: "If you have got team spirit, work hard and pass the ball well at this level, you will win games. It's as simple as that."

With Manny Panther, Nicky Wroe, Stuart Elliott, Martyn Woolford, Ross Greenwood and Phil Turnbull all contesting central-midfield roles, he is relishing the challenge of breaking into Walker's first-team plans as well, saying: "Competition for places in football is healthy. I've come to a club who are on a good run and pushing for the play-off places."