You could say there's unifinished business for me at Folkestone Invicta, says striker Ira Jackson

FOLKESTONE INVICTA striker Ira Jackson has signed a new two-year contract to stay at Cheriton Road next season.

The 26-year-old scored 13 goals for the 12^th-placed finishers in the Isthmian League Premier Division club last season.

“I’ve been at many clubs over the years in non-league and in the professional set-up and I haven’t found one where I’ve felt as home as I have with Folkestone,” said Jackson in a statement.

“Part of that could be to do with the fact that I’m from Folkestone but the main part is that I am settled and I am free to be me.

“As a player one of the things you wish for in your career is a place you can call home; amongst trophies and career moves, you want to be somewhere where you’re loved and I have that here at Folkestone.

“At this stage of life, getting married and things like that, it’s important to be settled and enjoying football as a priority.

“Last season, we didn’t achieve our collective objectives and I didn’t achieve my personal ones, so you could say there’s unfinished business and although it wasn’t a horrible season, the standards we’ve set as a club and I’ve set as an individual mean that we’ve got work to do for next season to put ourselves back to where Folkestone deserve to be and I’m committing for these two years to lead that charge.

“It doesn’t just mean something to me for personal reasons but also because I believe the fans, Cugs (Neil Cugley), who’s dedicated his life to the club and the new gaffers (Micheal Everitt and Roland Edge) deserve to make history and I’d love to score the goals and create the moments that make that happen.”

Meanwhile, the club have confirmed that goalkeeper Luke Coleman and centre-half Ian Gayle, 29, will also be staying next season.

Visit Folkestone Invicta’s website: www.folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk