Martin Riley keen on Yates reunion

Kidderminster Harriers defender Martin Riley has issued a 'come and get me' plea to his former boss Mark Yates to sign him for Cheltenham.

The 21-year-old is desperate to leave Aggborough for a move to the Football League, but the club are entitled to a fee for the player under the Bosman ruling after offering him a new contract.

Harriers are not thought to want more than a four-figure sum to release him to another club but, with great swathes of players free agents this summer, it's limiting Riley's options in the current financial climate.

Now the highly-rated central defender is hoping his ex-boss, who left Aggborough to take over at Cheltenham last December, will come to his rescue.

It was Yates who gave him his big chance in the game signing him for Harriers after his release from Wolves two years ago, with the player flourishing in the first-team under his tutelage.

And Riley agrees that league football under his former mentor is just the sort of move he is looking for.

He said: "I would love to go back and play for Mark Yates, it would be perfect for me and I am keen to link up with him again. Mark said to me when he left Harriers that I would be his first port of call in the summer, it's just a case of sorting something out.

"The fee has been the stumbling block. Clubs don't want to pay money for players at the moment with the way things are, because there are a lot of players out there who are available on a free transfer.

"If it doesn't come off then I will carry on looking for another club and there are a few things in the pipeline.

"It's my goal to play in the Football League and I want to do that as quickly as possible."