SWINDON Town midfielder Michael Doughty believes his best is yet to come and says promotion is the only goal the club are targeting this season.

Last season’s Swindon Advertiser Player of the Year ended the campaign as Town’s top goalscorer, netting 14 goals in 33 appearances, despite missing significant periods with a series of minor injuries.

However, the 26-year-old says he is now clear of those problems and – after signing a two-year extension to his current contract which will see Doughty remain in Wiltshire until 2022 – the midfielder is excited to get a full pre-season under his belt since arriving on a free transfer at the end of last summer.

Speaking to Town’s official website, Doughty reflected on a frustrating first season as a contracted player and is hopeful of promotion out of League Two under boss Richie Wellens in the upcoming campaign.

Doughty said: “When I was fit and feeling good, I produced probably the best football of my career – statistically, that was the best – but I still actually think there is a lot more to come from me.

“I didn’t have a pre-season last year, I came in just before the season started, had three innocuous impact injuries that set me back and then I rushed back.

“So fitness-wise, this pre-season has been massive for me and hopefully it can be a great basis to kick on.

“It was disappointing not to get to where we needed to be last season, and that’s fully the focus now.

“I still think that with the age I’m at, and with a full pre-season, I can kick on and become a big contributor towards the club getting promoted.”

Town will begin the 2019-20 season in League Two for the third consecutive year – the longest they have spent in the lowest tier of English professional football in more than 30 years – and Doughty believes the club is something of a sleeping giant in terms of the potential that it has.

The former Queens Park Rangers man revealed he had opportunities to move on in the summer, rather that sign a new deal, but wanted to remain at Town as he feels something special is just around the corner.

Doughty said: “This is a huge club. There were opportunities in the summer for me to speak potentially to League One teams, but this is a one-club Town and if we can get it right here then there’s a huge opportunity.

“With the manager we have now, and his support staff, everything feels like it’s a moving in the right direction.

“As players, we have a responsibility to make sure that the way we play – win, lose or draw – is inspiring people to come and watch us.

“If we get it right, then there is a big backing there, so hopefully we will.”