CONNOR Murtagh has vowed to step into the sizeable shoes of Steven Gayle as the Castle Leisure Centre based basketball team Lancashire Spinners prepare to kick off the new season.

The Spinners, who lost 85-64 against a USA Select team in their annual SuperJosh Charity game on Friday, have chosen not to offer Gayle a new contract, ending his five-year stay at the club.

They kick off their season with a home game against Northumbria in the National Trophy on Saturday (5.45pm start).

Murtagh, aged 22, was the Spinners’ second leading scorer last season, contributing an average of 12.8 points per game.

He will be expected to carry the team's biggest offensive threat after the departure of Gayle, who averaged more than 14 points.

“I know I need to bring more and become a more versatile weapon,” said Murtagh, as he enters his second season with the team.

“I’m just going to keep bringing energy and aggression in all aspects of my game.”

The Spinners are hoping to avoid a plateau after improving on their league standing every year since joining Basketball England’s National Leagues in 2011.

“Sure we’re thinking about it,” said forward Mark Rangeley, who ranked third in total scoring with 387 points.

“But I don’t believe there is any pressure. If we trust the system, and each other, we’ll have the success we want.”

They finished seventh in their Division One debut, but crashed out in round one of the play-offs by a decisive margin.

To help combat inevitable growing pains, Lancashire have retained the services of regular starters like Rangeley, Murtagh and Mike Bernard, as well as veteran Aitor Estrada and 17-year-old Zion Tordoff.

Tordoff, a recruit from Myerscough College, returns fresh from representing England Under-18s at the European Championships in Macedonia, as well as earning a number-two ranking at the prestigious Deng Camp.

Head coach Neal Hopkins explained his recruitment policy ahead of another season of what he hopes will be steady progression.

“We were looking for senior players who want to give back and help the next generation,” said Hopkins.

“The group of guys we have in right now are certainly driven by this and I’m happy with the guys we have.”

Lancashire have added Liverpool players Jack Hudson and man mountain David Ulph, who brings the size and aggression the team lacked last season.

The experienced duo averaged 28.5 points for the Division Two champions in the play-offs.

And drawing from the newly-formed partnership with Myerscough College, Tordoff will be joined by David Walsh, Ayo Nuwe, James Banton and U20s Bulgarian international Spas Nikolov.

“We need them to make an impact,” Hopkins said. “They are here on merit and they know they will be expected to make big contributions.”

The Spinners won 16 matches and lost 10 in the regular season, but only won one of eight games against teams that finished in the top four – Manchester, Derby, Reading and Hemel.

They were prodigious against teams who did not make the play-offs, picked up 12 of their wins against the bottom six. 

After National Trophy games at home to Northumbria and Manchester Magic (September 24) and away to Bradford (October 1), they begin their second campaign in the top tier at home to London on Saturday, October 8.