YORK City’s out-of-contract top scorer Michael Rankine has admitted he might not be able to wait to learn whether he has a future at Bootham Crescent.
Rankine, who netted 14 times last season, turned down a new deal with the Minstermen in January and manager Gary Mills has not offered him improved terms since.
The City chief has yet to decide whether Rankine forms part of his plans for the 2011/12 campaign and, in the meantime, the 6ft 3in striker is edging towards a move to League Two outfit Aldershot.
Rankine was in the crowd for Aldershot’s final game of the season at Lincoln City on Saturday but insisted that he was only there to meet up with former Rushden team-mate Clayton Fortune, who was in the visitors’ line up, adding: “I’ve not signed for anybody yet.
“There is interest from Aldershot and that could be an option. Maybe it’s looking that way but everybody knows what football’s like – nothing’s certain until you’ve put pen to paper.
“There are also a couple of other things out there for me but nothing massive at the moment. The manager (Mills) wants time to address everything and see what he wants to do with the squad but whatever happens has to happen quickly for me because I have a family to look after.
“For me to be waiting around for something when the manager could then say there isn’t anything, means I might have to go for whatever I have now. I love York and have enjoyed my time there but I had an offer in January from the club and turned it down because I didn’t think it was financially good enough for me and I’ve not been offered anything else as yet.
“It’s a hard one but sometimes you have to move on. I’ve given 100 per cent every week I was at the club and hope I’ve done myself justice.”
Rankine added that if an offer to play in the Football League is on the table, City would be the only club capable of persuading him to stay in the non-League game.
He said: “If I had the choice of playing in the League or joining a Conference club other than York, then I would go and play in the League. Everyone wants to play at the highest level they can.
“I wish I could have played in the League for York but it wasn’t meant to be. I do think the club will get up though as they’ve got the right base of players there now.”
Speculation linking Rankine to Aldershot first emerged as City prepared for the final three weeks of the season but the ex-Doncaster trainee insisted such talk did not play on his mind, reasoning: “It didn’t unsettle me as I didn’t really get the chance for it to unsettle me because, once the rumours came out, I didn’t really play.”
Rankine was left out for the Minstermen’s final four games, which reaped five points as the club’s play-off ambitions died.
Having previously started 40 of the club’s fixtures, Rankine admitted it hurt to look on from the bench but did not speak out against Mills.
He said: “The manager chose different strike partnerships and different sides to try to get in the play-offs. I’ve played 50 games in both of the last two seasons so, when I wasn’t in the team for the last few matches, I was a bit annoyed but that’s football.
“I don’t think I’ve played amazing every game but I always unsettle defences and sometimes you need that in certain situations.
“I didn’t want to sit on the bench – I don’t like doing that and picking up my money – but I respect the manager and have a lot of time for him. He’s brought me on as a player and has treated me with respect so I would never bad mouth him.”
As well as heading the scoring charts, Rankine created 13 goals for team-mates – an assists tally seven greater than any other City player.
Rankine confessed being asked to play as a lone central striker for most of his City career under Mills has improved his game but that his future probably still lies as being the foil in a two-man front line.
He said: “The season before I played up front with (Richard) Brodie and we got a lot of joy from playing together. I prefer playing like that but I feel that the manager has helped improve my touch, confidence and hold-up play.”
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