DEFENDER Tom Bird has become the third player to commit his future to Basingstoke Town for another season.

The 26-year-old, who grew up in Old Basing, made several appearances for Town in the 2007-08 season as a teenager.

He then moved on, playing for Fleet Town, Kingstonian and Carshalton before rejoining Basingstoke last summer.

The attack-minded left-back was an instant hit back at The Soccer AM Stadium, quickly becoming a key member of the team. He started 50 games over the course of the campaign, weighing in with four goals and many more assists.

Town manager Jason Bristow said: "Tom had a fantastic season and is very important to the way we play. He contributed a lot to our success and we are pleased to have him back.

"We were keen to get Tom signed because he had interest from other teams, with better offers than we could make. The fact that he has signed for us says a lot about his commitment to the club."

Bird joins strikers Chris Flood and Lloyd Macklin in re-signing for Basingstoke ahead of the 2015-16 season.