WORCESTER midfielder Dean Waldron has described his move to Pershore Town as a “starting point” after almost a year out through injury.

The promising 20-year-old made 12 appearances for Worcester City in the 2015/16 campaign and looked set to kick on after earning a deal last summer.

However, a hip problem has blighted his season and is now hoping Pershore can provide him with the platform to return to full fitness.

Waldron has not played competitively since coming off the bench against Harrogate Town in the Vanarama National League North in March last year.

But his long wait could be over on Saturday when Pershore visit Uttoxeter Town in Midland Football League Division One – four tiers below City.

“It’s been annoying, long and very frustrating,” he said.

“I have been out for nearly 12 months, so I just wanted to get back into football, start playing and enjoying it again.

“The manager (Quentin Townsend) spoke to me, I thought about it for a bit and then I decided it would be a good starting point for me to really crack on and hopefully play until the end of the season.

“I just want to get fitter and stronger because I am not going to come straight back after being out for so long and be as fit as I was at Worcester.

“I want to be playing regularly again.”

The former Christopher Whitehead Language College student was part of the youth set ups at Walsall and Aston Villa before joining City in 2014.

He made his debut for his hometown club that year and has been on the fringes of the first team for the past two seasons.

Although he has made the switch to Pershore, Waldron said he had ambitions to return to City depending on how he recovers from his injury.

“When I spoke to (former City manager) Carl (Heeley) before the start of the season, I said I wanted to be playing week-in week-out in the first team and he said the same,” Waldron said.

“But the injury killed me.

“My hip ached after a game and I thought it was just a knock, but it just carried on and it turned out that I had a cyst on my hip bone.

“I didn’t have surgery in the end, but I have got to go back to see the physio this month.

“So Pershore is a starting point for me to see out the season and then maybe speak to (Worcester’s caketaker boss John Snape).”