Mansfield Town

The 34-year-old, who made 37 league appearances in our title-winning season, is currently our joint-longest serving player having joined us from Rushden & Diamonds in January 2009.

After signing his new Football League deal Marriott said: “It means a massive amount to be a Football League player again. I’ve enjoyed my time here thoroughly and I’ve got a great relationship with the fans.

“Next season is going to be a big test for everyone, but with the squad we’ve got I don’t think there’s a massive difference between us and the teams already in the league.

“I’ve heard a lot about the rivalry of Mansfield and Chesterfield, but I’ve never experienced it, so too hopefully [play in that game] will be something special.

“Next season, one thing that I’m looking forward to is not playing with the FILA football’s anymore. They were terrible and in the rain, for a goalkeeper it was like handling a bar of soap.”

Our veteran custodian also reminisced about the heroics of last season, which saw him win the first promotion of a long career that began at Tottenham Hotspur in August 1997.

He continued: “When I reflect back on last season, for me personally it was a massive rollercoaster, but to finish off with [achieving] promotion – it doesn’t really get much better!

“I’d never experienced promotion before and it was something I’d been craving throughout my career, so when the final whistle went [against Wrexham] it was an unbelievable feeling.

“But for me, the highlight was the Liverpool game. [Playing in the FA Cup Third Round] was something that I’d always wanted to do and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

“To play in front of a full house against a team that you’ve grown up watching on TV, with my two children as mascots, was a very proud moment.

“We gave a good account of ourselves and it was a fantastic day for everybody,” added Marriott.