GIANT new Barrow AFC forward Richie Bennett hopes his goals can help push the Bluebirds towards promotion.

Bennett was AFC boss Paul Cox's first signing of the close-season when he moved from Northwich Victoria.

The 24-year-old fired in 28 goals across all competitions for the Evo-stick Division One North side last season, including scoring against League Two champions Northampton in the FA Cup.

Now he wants to bring that striking prowess to Holker Street – where he will join up with former Vics team-mate Jordan Williams – and propel them higher than this year's 11th-placed finish.

“I'm hoping it's going to be fun,” said the 6ft 4ins Oldham native, whose left foot had Cox purring after he watching him during a prolonged scouring period. “The main thing for me is to enjoy my football – that's when I think I get the best out of myself.

“I want to keep on doing what I have been doing at Northwich – keeping my head down, staying focused.

“I'd love to get Barrow promoted and I'm sure every player wants to get promoted. That's a big target for me, to do the best I can to try and get Barrow promoted.

“I definitely want to be in the goals again. That's my aim – to score as many as I can and get Barrow in the best position as possible.

“As a striker, it's all about goals. That's what it comes down to. I want to be in the first team regularly, I want to be playing and I want to be scoring goals.”

Bennett, who was always known as Richard, Rich, or – by his friends – 'Bennett' until Northwich boss Jim Gannon christened him Richie and it stuck in footballing circles, has been lured to Barrow by the prospect of working under Cox.

The AFC boss brought in Williams in January and has helped him progress his game to the extent he has been called up by England C for an international against Slovakia Under-21s next month.

Bennett is hopeful his own game can develop and blossom under the same tutelage, with Williams have given him positive reports on the kind of club he would be joining.

“Paul Cox is a great manager and I've heard a lot of great things about him,” said the former Ashton United player. “I've been speaking to Jordan about how much he has enjoyed it up there and how well he has done since he has come in.

“Jordan has said how much Paul Cox has helped him and how Barrow is a good club which is looking to go places, looking to get promoted and looking to develop players as well.

“Jordan is a great player, but the fact that he has gone straight into the team at Barrow and done brilliantly is something that I want to do myself. I want to develop as much as Jordan has in such a short period of time.

“Paul Cox is a great manager and he wants to develop me as a player and help me improve and go on if possible.

“The whole message from Paul Cox about what he wants for the club and where he wants the the club to go, as well as what he wants to do with me individually, how we wants to keep developing me as a player, made me want to join.”

If Bennett is to develop much as Williams has, he knows he will have to make a big step up to the National League.

He hailed Gannon for giving him the chance at a 'breakthrough year' with Northwich and feels he has it within himself to go even further next term.

“There is going to be a difference, but I think it's going to be to do with the fitness and the level of concentration for a longer period of time,” he said.

“We have proven that we can do that at Northwich against Chorley, Boreham Wood and Northampton. For 80-odd minutes we had Northampton.

“I think individually we showed that we could step up, it's just maintaining that level of concentration for a longer period of time, being fit enough and strong enough to go for the full 90 minutes.”