WINNING the league is a realistic target, according to Forest Green defender Aarran Racine.

Manager Ady Pennock has agreed a new one-year contract with the 23-year-old centre-back.

Racine said: “Our minimum target next year is to get into the play-offs, but we want to try and hopefully win the league – especially with the players we’ve got and what we have done this season.

“With a relatively positive end to the season, although we didn’t get through the play-offs, it’s still a good finish for the club.

“I’m just happy to be here next year and hopefully push on and improve. I just want to play more games and stay fit – that’s me.

Racine’s new deal brings the total number of players contracted for the forthcoming campaign up to 17.

He made an impressive 19 league appearances following his return from injury, sparking up a positive central defensive partnership with January arrival, Charlie Clough.

He added: “With timings I thought I was quite fortunate. I came in because of injury and then I came back in again because of suspension.

“In that way I was quite lucky and fortunate but I was just happy to get the games under my belt and stay fit for the rest of the season which was a positive for me.

“If you look at this season at the beginning of the season it was pretty much a whole new squad and starting eleven we had. It does take time for the team to gel.

“But we finished the season strongly so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t start next season strongly.”

The former Southampton defender, who found the net three times this season, originally moved to The New Lawn in August 2012 after impressing in two trial matches against Wealdstone and Manchester United