Top striker to stay with Centurions (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Top striker to stay with Centurions

THE striker who Cirencester Town hope will keep them in the Southern League Premier Division has signed for the club until the end of the season.

Mark Danks, 21, has scored five goals in seven games since joining the relegation-threatened Centurions on a month's loan, from Forest Green Rovers, last month.

His professional contract with Forest Green having been terminated "by mutual consent", he has signed for Cirencester, as a part-time player, for the rest of the season.

Of the six league games he has played in since arriving, Cirencester have won two, lost two and drawn two. He also scored in a cup game.

Despite being unwell, he played in all three of Cirencester's Christmas league fixtures, scoring a hat-track in their 4-0 demolition of Evesham United.

Cirencester's passing game suits the pacey, spiky, five-ft-seven-ins-tall striker who likes to receive the ball to feet and take defenders on.

Originating from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, Danks earned England caps at under-15 and under-16 schoolboy levels.

He started his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers before moving to Bradford City for one season.

Dropping down to non-league football, he briefly represented Halesowen Town before moving to Hednesford Town.

He scored a remarkable 24 goals in 42 matches for Hednesford in 2003-2004, prompting Forest Green, of the Nationwide Conference, to sign him on a year's contract.

Danks played for Rovers in a pre-season friendly at Cirencester's Corinium Stadium.

Although he missed a sitter in that game, his movement stretched Town's defence.

So, desperately needing a goal-scorer, Cirencester manager, Brian Hughes, signed Danks when he became available.

Suspecting Danks' spikiness might explain why he has had so many clubs for such a young player, Hughes said he personally has had no problems with the striker.

Hughes said: "We've been looking for someone to be lively up front. "Mark's a good little player; he's sharp, he's bright.

"He's enjoyed it here and needed to get away from Forest Green." Danks said: "Brian took me on loan when two or three managers didn't give me a chance. It's worked out for both of us."

Saying that playing regularly would put him in 'the shop window' where he might attract a bigger club, he added: "There's a good bunch of lads here but I'd like to go back to being a professional.

"At the end of the season, I'm going to sit down and weigh-up my options."