BURY striker Gareth Seddon has spoken of his relief after winning a contract until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old striker was on a short-term deal at Gigg Lane as he fought to re-establish himself following a year out with injury and illness.

That deal was due to run out last weekend -- but Seddon has now secured his future at Gigg Lane for the next three months, bouncing back from a run of bad luck which threatened his career.

He missed almost the whole of last season after first being diagnosed with a rare genetic blood disorder, and then

suffering a back injury which initially baffled specialists.

It was only late last season that doctors discovered the former RAF physical training instructor had separated two bones in his back.

The injury left Seddon facing an uncertain future, as the club told him last summer that he would only be given a new contract if he could prove his fitness.

But after doing enough to earn a series of short-term deals, the striker has done enough to persuade manager Graham Barrow to keep him for the season.

Seddon said: "My contract ran out last Saturday so it takes the pressure off to know I will be at the club to the end of the season.

"If I was offered another contract for 12 months at the end of this year I'd take it, because I love it at Bury.

"It's great to get back scoring, especially after last season when I had a bad year with injuries.

"The way the club's finances are at the moment nobody knows who is going to be released or kept on, so all you can do is play to the best of your abilities."

Seddon marked his new deal by scoring in the Shakers' 2-1 defeat at Carlisle on Saturday. It was his first goal since October, when he struck the Shakers' 6,000th Football League goal at Darlington.

His barren spell in front of goal -- which coincided with a Shakers run of eight consecutive defeats -- saw him dropped from the starting line-up last month.

But he now hopes to rediscover the form which made him Bury's top scorer two seasons ago.

Seddon said: "I honestly didn't think I deserved to be dropped after the games over Christmas.

"But if you are a forward and aren't hitting the back of the net, you are going to get dropped -- you have to accept it.

"There is a lot of competition for the forward places at the club, and at the end of the day it's a striker's job to score goals.

"But the manager has supported me all the way and it's really appreciated.

"We've had our arguments, every player and manager does, but at the end of it Graham will put his hand on your shoulder and back you.

"I just wish I'd scored a winning goal on Saturday rather than get one from a match we lost."