BEN LIDDLE is targeting a play-off place as a minimum requirement next season after agreeing a new one-year deal to remain with Darlington.

Liddle, who joined Quakers last summer after leaving Bristol Rovers, will remain at Blackwell Meadows for a second campaign, and has become the 15th player to commit himself to Alun Armstrong’s squad for next term.

The former Middlesbrough trainee scored six goals from midfield last season, including a memorable long-range strike against Blyth Spartans, but ended the campaign disappointed as a poor run from Christmas onwards saw Darlington slip out of the play-off picture.

There have already been a number of changes this summer, with some key players moving on, but having agreed to remain with Quakers, Liddle regards at least making the play-offs as a key ambition next season.

“We’ve got to aim for better than what we did last season,” said the 24-year-old, whose father, Craig, represented Darlington as both a player and manager. “That’s only right.

“I know the budget might be different, I heard the chairman’s interview, but as a group of lads, we’ve got to come together and try to put last season’s wrong, right.

“Everyone knows it was a massively disappointing end to the season, but hopefully the gaffer can get a few more bodies in – I know he’s signed some good players already – and then we can kick on and try to finish better than last year and get in those play-offs.”

Liddle burst to prominence with Middlesbrough when he made his senior debut in an FA Cup tie against Tottenham at the London club’s gleaming Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but he was released after loan spells at Blyth, Forest Green and Scunthorpe.

He spent two years with Bristol Rovers before dropping out of the professional game, but admits he was pleasantly surprised by the level he encountered in National League North last term.

“It was a bit difficult at first, dropping out of full-time football and changing to part-time,” he said. “You’re out of your routine quite a bit, but it was good. The way it’s run at Darlington is as close to professional as you can get. I got used to it after a couple of weeks and really enjoyed it.

“The standard surprised me quite a lot. I spoke to a few people before who said there’s quite a lot of players in the league who could play higher, or play full-time but are obviously settled with jobs. The standard was really good, and I was a bit surprised by it to be honest.”