BURY Town captain Tom Bullard has extended his contract with the club until May 2014 - and has also been granted a testimonial match next season.

The long-serving skipper, who only penned a new deal last June after attempts to lure him away from Ram Meadow, has lifted the Zamaretto Division One Midlands title, Suffolk Premier Cup and the Ryman League Cup in the last few seasons.

And after losing in the Ryman League Premier Division play-offs in each of the last two seasons, Bullard is targeting promotion to Blue Square Bet South.

He said: “Bury Town has been my club since I was 16 and I am proud to have been a big part of the club’s growth during the last few years, but I want to help get it at least to the next level as quickly as possible.

“The new stadium is just around the corner and that will prove to be another massive boost for the club.

“This club has everything in place to make the step up and I want to be part of that. The fact that we have been able to attract the likes of Craig Parker, Adam Tann and Richard Logan during the last few weeks simply proves what a good club we are to join. These players would not come here if they didn’t think we were ambitious.”

Bullard’s testimonial will involve a high-profile game ahead of the 2013/14 campaign, along with some other events during the season.

He said: “I had no idea the club were going to offer me a testimonial and I was really shocked and surprised when they did. This really hasn’t sunk in yet but I can’t wait for it all to unfold, but not until we have pushed for promotion.”

Bullard said he had benefited from playing alongside a number of colleagues who had been a massive influence on his career.

“I owe a lot to a number of team-mates who I have played alongside during my time here and I have learned a lot from the experienced players we have brought in,” he stated.

Looking ahead to his testimonial game, Bullard said he already had some ideas as to which players he would like to invite along to play a part.

“It would be great if I could get the Zameretto Championship squad back together again and I know the Blues fans would love to see the likes of Ben Coker, Lee Underwood and Neil Andrews pull on the Bury shirt again but we’ll have to look at that as a possibility very soon.”