McAughtrie wants to stay at Rangers

On-loan Stafford Rangers defender Craig McAughtrie wants to come back to Marston Road permanently after crediting the club for saving his career.

The 29-year-old is soon to be a free agent after seeing out the final days of his contract at Blue Square North rivals Eastwood, having barely been used by the Nottingham club since signing from Tamworth last summer.

His frustrations at Coronation Park had even him considering his future in the game, before Rangers came to the rescue at the end of January with a three-month loan deal.

The decision to bring McAughtrie back to the club was a popular one with fans, after becoming a favourite with supporters in a previous five-year spell at Marston Road between 2002 and 2007.

And the footballing policeman admits it has been like coming home, with regular first-team football to boot after building up a strong partnership at in central defence with rising star Grant Goodhead.

All of the first-team squad face an uncertain summer as none of the players are under contract, but McAughtrie is confident his time back at the club is not at an end.

He said: "I am pretty confident that I will be coming back to Stafford Rangers for next season. I am hopeful that we can sit down and sort something out in the summer, because I was thoroughly enjoying it.

"At Eastwood I had been questioning whether I'd had enough of football, but I have loved every minute of my return and owe the club a lot for getting me interested in the game again.

"I will see what happens but, in the frame of mind I am in at the minute, if the right deal can be sorted out then I am 110 per cent behind coming back here for next season."