ALLOA striker Isaac Layne hopes his goals can help fire the club straight back to the SPFL Championship next season after signing a new deal to remain in Clackmannanshire for another year.

The young hitman enjoyed a successful spell in League One last term whilst on loan with Brechin City and now he is desperate for chance to shine for Alloa after ending last season on a high with a goal in the Wasps' final match with Dumbarton.

Layne told Advertiser sport: “I am delighted to be staying at Alloa for next season. The town feels like my home away from home now as it is my third season here. I had a few decisions to make, but hopefully I have made the right one. I am hopeful this year will be my chance to establish myself as a first team regular. I joined Alloa quite young, but I have been here two years now and I want to show everyone at the club and in the town what I am really about.

“I know that if I can get a good run of games then I will score goals and so hopefully I can do that to help fire us back up the leagues. This season was a decent breakthrough year for me. I had a good loan spell at Brechin and did well so that has given me experience of League 1 for next year. It will be strange to play against them this year as well.

“I scored goals in both League 1 and then the Championship so I am confident of goals in the coming season as well. I really have to repay the manager now because he was the one who called me back from the loan spell and gave me my chance in the first team. I like to think I showed him enough and now with a decent run of games I hope to have a big part to play this season. The goal against Dumbarton was a good one to end on for me, but hopefully that is just a taster of what is to come. I am hungry and ready to prove myself now.”

Layne is desperate to repay gaffer Jack Ross for the faith he has shown in him this season and admits the confidence he gave to him helped propel him to starring roles against the likes of Raith Rovers, St Mirren and Rangers toward the end of the campaign.

The Wasps' boss is keen to tie up the majority of the squad from last season and the 20-year-old striker reckons if he can do that then they will be a major force in the League One promotion race.

He said: “The gaffer seems to want to keep the squad together and if he can do that or even strengthen it then there is no doubt in my mind that we can be challenging for promotion. I know the league and so I know what this team could do in that league especially with Dunfermline going up and so it is mainly part time teams now so we have nothing to fear. Hopefully we can get as many of the boys tied down then go onto have a successful campaign.

“I think the Championship has probably been the most competitive league in the country for the last two years so that will certainly stand us in good stead for dropping down. We have been relegated, but I think we held our own in a lot of the games last season so if we can reproduce that kind of level then we will have a good chance of promotion.

“Jack has been brilliant since he came into the club. He is an excellent coach and man manager so I think he will go on to become a top manager for the club. He gave us all such a huge lift and I reckon if he had arrived one or two months earlier then we would still be in the Championship.

He gave me my confidence back and encouraged me to bring out the best in my game so hopefully I can continue that progression under him this coming season.”

The former Southend United trainee now hopes his experiences on-loan and against the big boys of the SPFL Championship can help him hit the goal trail in the coming season.

Layne added: “The experiences I have gained this year have been crucial. The run of games in league 1 then playing the likes of Hibs and Rangers at their own ground were incredible. The atmosphere at Ibrox in our game there a few weeks ago was amazing and to get a result was even better.

“I think going out on loan was they key. It helped boost my confidence and then Jack gave me the platform to build on so hopefully I can do exactly that next season. Now I aim to kick on and score a lot of goals. I have my own personal targets and if I can reach them then I know the club can bounce straight back up to the Championship.”