Byrne’s backing lofty bid

MACCLESFIELD Town defender Neill Byrne has joined the long list of his team-mates who feel the team need to secure a top five finish this season.

Byrne signed a new deal at the club last week to keep him at the Moss Rose for the 2016/17 campaign.

He now hopes that it can be a successful year for the Silkmen, and believes that promotion has to be the aim.

“I think everyone’s mind-set needs to be into the play-offs and up by the top of the table,” he said.

“Towards the end of last season, I think if you checked the form table we would’ve been up there, so if we can start off like that who says we can’t be up there?”

Byrne insists he had no doubts that he would be staying with Macclesfield, and revealed that being back home in Ireland was what prevented the deal being done sooner.

“I’m delighted to get it all sorted. We’ve been talking since the end of the season but I was back in Ireland so it was a case of when I’d be back to get it signed and sealed,” he said.

“We finished the season strong so we want to kick on from there. Hopefully we can start the season as we finished the last one, and with a good start we can get up to the top of the table and stay there for the season.”

The 23-year-old was a regular in the Macc squad after joining from AFC Telford last summer, making 27 appearances and scoring three goals in the process.

He suffered a setback when he fractured his leg during a match against Forest Green in September, but he managed to recover from the injury and was able to return to the squad within two months.