BASINGSTOKE Town fans are celebrating after it was announced that Delano Sam-Yorke will remain at the club next season.

The powerful striker put pen to paper on a new one-year deal earlier this week, ignoring interest from other clubs and choosing to remain at the Camrose.

Sam-Yorke said: “I am happy to be back. There were a couple of other clubs interested but I decided that Basingstoke was the right choice.

“I know the management and players. We had a good season last year and I think we can do it again, maybe even better.”

Sam-Yorke was Town’s joint top scorer last season with 15 goals and excelled during the team’s late run to the Blue Square Bet South play-offs, terrifying defences with his pace and strength. Re-signing the 23-year-old was one of Jason Bristow’s summer priorities – and the Basingstoke boss is delighted to have got his man.

“It is big news for us,” Bristow said. “Delano is a big part of the team and when he is on form there is nobody better in this league.

“We have been having conversations with Delano for the last few months. He was one of the first we approached about re-signing and it’s great to have him back.

“We know that the fans have been watching out for this signing for weeks. It is great that he has put pen to paper for us and for the fans.”

Having signed his new contract, Sam-Yorke is looking forward to the 2012-13 campaign and playing alongside Tim Sills in attack.

“I like playing with Tim Sills and am learning a lot from him,” the former Woking and AFC Wimbledon man said. “He has been around the leagues and I am just trying to take on board things he says.

“I am not going to set myself any aims for next season but I would like to do better than I did last year and keep developing as a player.”

In terms of the team, Sam-Yorke believes that next season could be a good one for Basingstoke Town.

“I think we can be a real force,” he said. “If we start the way we ended last season then we will have a real chance and then it is just a case of maintaining that.”