JON PARKIN will  play for Forest Green next season after a clause in his contract triggered an extension.

The striker known as 'The Beast' is in line to lift the Vanarama Conference player of the month award for January after hitting seven goals in four straight wins since the turn of the year.

The 33-year-old former Cardiff City and Preston hot-shot has found the back of the net 19 times this season since signing from Fleetwood Town on an intial one-year deal and will now remain at the New Lawn until the summer of 2016.

He told the club website: “I’m obviously delighted. The manager brought me in here on a contract, where I need to play so many games to get another year, and luckily I’ve managed to reach that."

“One of the main reasons I came down here was because Ady said we were hoping to get promotion – pretty similar to when I went to Fleetwood.

“When Ady said what we were trying to achieve it made it a little bit easier to move down here," said the Barnsley-based striker, who stays at the players' hostel in the week.

“It’s a very good football club and hopefully we can achieve what we want to achieve.”