Vanarama National League champions Lincoln City have tied down influential midfielder Alex Woodyard to an extended contract at Sincil Bank. The 24-year-old has signed fresh terms, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2018/19 campaign.
Woodyard was the subject of significant interest from Sky Bet League One side and Lincoln’s county rivals Scunthorpe United. Speculation has been rife for several months now following a string of impressive performances in both league and cup, but the player has put an end to any rumours he may depart.
This will serve as excellent news to the management team Danny and Nicky Cowley, who have both been a big part of Woodyard’s career to date, managing him at both Concord Rangers and Braintree Town previously too. Having risen up the leagues with the Cowley brothers, the player clearly feels as though he can continue to improve even further.
Woodyard himself states that ‘the club is moving forward’ and ‘loved’ his first season with the club, which couldn’t really have gone any better. In total, the hard-working midfield engine has played over 50 matches for the Imps, scoring just one goal, but a crucial one it was. He netted infamous 3-2 away victory at Forest Green Rovers all the way back in November, a game most Lincoln fans will identify as one which kick-started their successful season.
At present, Woodyard will be vying with both Billy Knott and Elliott Whitehouse for a place in Cowley’s starting eleven next season. That being said, another central midfielder is surely on the agenda in terms of summer recruitment, along with several other positions. City commence their pre-season campaign underway on Saturday with the incredibly short trip to Lincoln United, before heading out to Portugal for some warm weather training.
