KEVIN BURGESS has become the latest Darlington player to sign a new contract, committing himself to a two-year deal, writes craig stoddart.

The captain follows Phil Turnbull, Nathan Cartman, Mark Beck and Harvey Saunders in putting pen to paper on a new contract at Blackwell Meadows.

Burgess has been Darlington’s skipper since signing from Whitby Town two years ago, during which time he has been a consistent part of Martin Gray’s first-choice XI, though he missed the latter stages of this season due to injury.

He said: "Happy to announce I have signed a new two-year contract with Darlington. Only one place I want to be. We still have unfinished business in this league, can't wait to get started."

The Teesside centre-back is unlikely to be the last player to sign a new deal, with another first-choice defender understood to have committed himself to Quakers.

A former Darlington defender, Ian Watson, will come up against Quakers next season after signing for Blyth Spartans.

The left-back has returned to the club from whom he signed for Darlington in 2014. He stayed with the club for a year before joining Spennymoor Town, who released him recently.

He told the Blyth website: “When I spoke to Neal Hooks and the management a few weeks back, when I first got the call, I was delighted. I’m really pleased to be back.

“I was disappointed to leave last time. I went to Darlington – as I just thought it was too good a chance to turn down at the time.

“I never particularly wanted to leave Blyth or anything like that, it was just that the chance had come along to move to Darlington.

“I always looked for Blyth’s results and to see how they were getting on.

“As soon as the chance came to come back, I snapped their hands off.

“When I was here (last time), I really enjoyed my football and I just want to get back to that.”

Jordan Watson is also in the Blyth squad, having returned to Croft Park from Darlington midway through the season.

Blyth boss Alun Armstrong said: “I see Jordan Watson primarily as a centre-back, so we’ve got the three of them now and I might even have a look at a couple of others in pre-season.

“The way Jordan has played at centre-back means that we can take our time and decide whether we need another one or not.

“I just needed to make sure we could strengthen at left-back and we’ve done that.”