TERRAS’ ace Ashley Wells is determined to nail down his spot in the Weymouth starting XI next season and wants to write off any birthday blues he suffered last term.

The 24-year-old former Portland United man is set to go into his fifth straight campaign at the Bob Lucas Stadium having agreed a new deal with boss Jason Matthews to stay as part of his squad.

Matthews insisted that full-back wells was “outstanding” having fought for his place in the second part of the last campaign and Wells is looking to kick on in 2016/17.

It wasn’t all positive for the defender during the previous term however, and it all started during the first league fixture when the Terras lost 1-0 at Cambridge City in August.

He told Echosport: “The first game of last season we went to Cambridge, it was my birthday and I didn’t even get on. I was really frustrated about that.

“It was not one of my better birthdays!

“I don’t fancy spending my birthday on the bench again, I did not enjoy that! I did say to Jase after ‘you do know you could have left me at home, I would have been fine’.

“It sort of reminded me of when I was first there. When I first signed under Brendon (King, former manager), they were half way through the season and I couldn’t get a look in.”

He added: “Nobody wants to be on the bench but, with the team we had last year, it was full of quality players.

“When you do get in you have to prove your worth and playing with better players only makes you a better player – that’s why I think I had a good end to the season.

“If I can carry on the form that I had at the end of the season, I will think I’ll be starting (next season).”

Wells is now part of a number of the current Terras' squad that have agreed to stick with the club next season, and he sees that as a huge positive.

“A lot of people know I am a loyal player, this will be my fifth year,” he said.

“If you look at Poole Town, they won the league because they had their team together. They have mostly all been there for a good three or four years.

“You learn how each other play, like, I know if I miss something Calvin (Brooks) is quick enough to get round me and vice-versa.

“You need a few players to be like ‘right, we will give it a couple of years together’. We are all a young team and we all get on really well. You can’t change your team every season and expect to be successful.”