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Ian McParland already has a key piece of his Notts County jigsaw in place for next season because Michael Johnson has agreed to extend his stay at Meadow Lane.
The veteran defender, such an influential figure in County's battle to avoid relegation since he arrived on loan from Derby County, has agreed to sign a new one-year deal on July 1.
"I couldn't be more pleased," said McParland. "We talked about the possibility of 'Johno' staying on when he initially signed for us and I was very keen to keep him here.
"A lot has been made of the fact that Notts County is in his blood and he wants to see the club get back to where it once was. But to be honest, that's of no great importance to me.
"I'm a lot more concerned about the fact that he is still a quality player with a tremendous knowledge of the game - and he's a superb influence in the dressing room.
"If we are going to move this club forward, we need to have people like Michael Johnson on board and although some might say that his best days are behind him, he is still very capable of doing an outstanding job for us."
Johnson, who will be 35 in July, admits he didn't take much persuading to sign. But although it's a move of convenience because he still lives on the outskirts of Nottingham, he insists that was not crucial to his decision.
He explained: "It may or may not be my last year as a professional footballer but I'm definitely not looking to pick up some easy wages.
"Everyone knows that it was always in my mind to come back one day and finish my career at Meadow Lane but I'm determined to do it in the right way.
"I like to think that I played my part in preventing us from slipping out of the League and now I want to be involved in moving us forward. Ideally, of course, I want to see us mount a promotion challenge but we have to be realistic.
"There's an awful lot that needs to change before Notts County get back to where we were and it's essential that people recognise that. The danger signs have been there for the past few months and if people fail to recognise them, there's every chance we will end up like Wrexham.
"Things won't change overnight, that just won't happen. But on and off the field, we need to make absolutely certain next season that we take steps in the right direction.
"The big appeal for me when I came back to Meadow Lane was to work with Ian McParland, Dave Kevan and Tommy Johnson - and nothing has changed.
"I believe that they will be fantastic for this club and I'm looking forward to coming back next season with a clean-sheet of paper so that we can start again."
