Adi Yussuf has described his move to Mansfield Town as a dream come true, and the striker is keen to prove himself on his return to The Football League.
Striker Yussuf notched 26 goals for Oxford City in the Conference North last term, and returns to The League having previously played in Sky Bet League 2 for Burton Albion, who he left in 2013.He played for Lincoln City after his departure from the Brewers, prior to his prolific spell with Oxford last season, and now the former Leicester City youngster is hungrier than ever to succeed with the Stags.
“When I got told that I might be coming to sign here, it feels like a dream come true. I pinch myself every day,” Yussuf told Mansfield's official website.
“I’ve got so many people to prove [things to]. The fact that I was at Burton and things didn’t work out there, I just want to come back into this league and prove that I can play in this league.
“I believe that if I work hard on myself and my game, then with a bit of help from the gaffer and the coaching staff, anything is possible.”
The Stags have also secured the services of another striker, in Chris Beardsley, with the front man returning to the club where his career started in the early 2000s.
Beardsley has since played for a number of other League and non-league clubs, and was at Stevenage for the 2014/15 season.
The 31-year-old is excited by manager Adam Murray's plans, and that was a significant factor in his return to Field Mill.
“It [the move] was sort of completely out of the blue,” Beardsley said. “I spoke to the gaffer this summer and we had a good chat.
“He’s told me his plans, what he thinks of the whole club, the structure of the squad, my part in it and the future moving forward. He impressed me hugely with his plans and he’s actually got an idea of what he wants and how he wants to implement it.
“When you go and speak to some managers, they just say ‘We’ll see how it goes’ but the gaffer here has got a big plan. Speaking to him, he sold me his plan and the club.”