WINSFORD United have persuaded Will Foster to stay having beaten several other clubs to a deal for the promising defender.

The 20-year-old made 18 starts at the heart of Blues’ back-line, scoring twice, following a switch from Altrincham’s reserves at the turn of the year.

“It’s a signing that proves we’re moving in the right direction,” said player-manager Lee Duckworth.

“From the moment we brought him in, Will was suberb.

“He’s quickly become a key player for us, and his mature performances defied his young age.

“We believe he’s a great future in front of him, and I’m happy the next part of it will be with us at Winsford.”

Foster is confident he has made the right choice, and backed his teammates to improve next season after finishing 13th in the North West Counties League’s top-flight last term.

He said: “I think this is the best place for me to make progress.

“The club is ambitious, and the management team showed a lot of enthusiasm towards signing me on.

“If we can have a good pre-season, then I think we can get off to a fast start.

“After that, why not challenge at the top end of the table?”

Duckworth wants to establish Winsford as a club where young players can reach their potential, and can point to midfielder Harry Brazel’s move to higher-ranked Stockport County last term as proof that Blues can be a shop window for emerging talent.

He added: “Since I took over, I think we’ve shown there is an ideal environment here for talented lads to show what they can do.

“The fact we’ve kept hold of Will shows that.”