Milestone man Paul Bastock believes St Neots Town have the scope to become a Conference National club.

The ambitious Cozy Stadium outfit currently play two levels below the pinnacle of non-league football in the Southern League Premier Division.

And they are laying down a strong challenge for a play-off place thanks to a fine run of just one defeat in nine games so far in 2015 after being boosted by the arrival of current boss David Batch and several impressive signings.

Goalkeeper Bastock, a veteran of more than 1,000 career games, said: “Everything is in place at St Neots. The facilities are top notch and we are really starting to set out our stall as a team since David came in as manager.

“We had the look of being a team full of strikers early in the season, but now we are one that doesn’t concede goals and is still capable of scoring them.

“The new acquisitions he is making are not only for this season, but also beyond that.

“We all believe we can get into the play-offs and I know the long-term plan is to climb the leagues.

“I regard the Conference National as almost being part of the Football League now.

“Most clubs are full-time at that level and it is clear there is very little difference in terms of quality between it and League Two.

“I don’t see any reason why St Neots could not compete at that level in the coming years.

“It is all about growing over time. The fan-base would need to increase as you certainly can’t rely on one person to fund football at that level.

“St Neots is a magnificent club for a player to represent. When they came calling in the summer, I just had to be a part of it. It was a no-brainer really.

“I get a little buzz whenever I pull into the car park and I’m proud to call myself a St Neots player. I feel sure there is a bright future ahead.”

St Neots will hope that continues on Saturday when they entertain Hitchin at the Cozy Stadium.

And Bastock, 44, certainly intends to be a part of it.