STEVE Pope and Marcus Jackson have committed their immediate futures to Bromsgrove Rovers by signing contracts.

The pair have both agreed 12-month deals at the Victoria Ground and are the only two players of the squad now under contract.

Skipper Pope, who made a dramatic return to Rovers after joining Redditch in the summer, and speedy winger Jackson put pen to paper last Thursday.

Manager George Rooney said: "I think both players have shown a commitment to the club. I think Steve Pope has had an excellent start to the season.

"I would like to have all our boys in the same situation but it's getting players to sign deals within our budget structure."

Chairman Tom Herbert added: "Steve Pope is one of the best. He's Bromsgrove through and through."

Pope is part of a defensive line that Rooney rates highly but he believes there may be need for adjustments elsewhere.

He said: "I think at the moment the options that we have got at the back are very good for this level so there's no plans to change that or add to it.

"We might well lack a bit in front of that and we probably do need to strengthen in a couple of areas."

One of those areas, the strikers, will be without Sam Bowen for this Saturday's Dr Martens Western visit of Rugby United.

Bowen starts a three-match ban following his pre-season red card at Causeway United for an alleged use of the elbow.

The former Luctonians rugby player sat out last Saturday's FA Cup victory at Cradley with a bizarre leg injury.

Bowen suffered an infection to a cut after colliding with Redditch goalkeeper Paul Maynard in Rovers' 1-0 defeat on Bank Holiday Monday.