Guiseley have signed four more players with the Skrill Conference North season just over a fortnight away.

They are utility player Michael Burns, who was at Nethermoor last summer before being released, former Garforth Town striker James Burgess, ex-Bradford City junior Kyle Harrison and fellow defender Israel Johnson, who has been at Huddersfield Town.

Former Liverpool and Carlisle player Burns feels he has unfinished business with the Lions and wants to prove Guiseley manager Steve Kittrick wrong for letting him go.

Burns, who spent last season at Vauxhall Motors, said: “I didn’t want to leave (Guiseley) in the first place but that was down to the management and I’m just glad to be back.”

His ambition for the new campaign is promotion and he added: “That would be nice. I thought the lads did well but they just missed out last season.

“I know people are writing us off because we’ve lost a few players but I think we’ll be up there.”

Burns played in his favoured position – just behind the strikers – in Guiseley’s 3-1 pre-season victory over Brighouse Town.

He said: “It was a good run-out and it was good to get playing off the strikers again, as that’s where I played last season. I’m enjoying it and I’m glad to be back.

“We’ve had a few ups and downs over pre-season but it’s starting to gel now – you can tell that from when we get the ball down. We can tear teams apart when we do that.

“With us training every Tuesday and Thursday and then playing on a Saturday, we’re all getting to know each other better.”

The muscular 6ft 2in Burgess, who wore the captain’s armband at Garforth last season, scored in the win against Brighouse and Kittrick said: “He is young, big and hungry – just the sort of player we want at Guiseley.

“He was recommended to us by Vince Brockie, who used to coach our reserves.”

Harrison played for City’s reserves and youth team last season and Guiseley chief executive officer Adrian Towers said: “He wanted a fresh start and is a very calm defender.”

As for fellow teenager ‘Izzy’ Johnson, Towers added: “He was recommended to us by Huddersfield Town’s coaching staff.”

Kittrick admitted: “This pre-season has been more hectic than recent years. I am working with a reduced budget and I have looked at what I call ‘Turkish Delight’ players – full of eastern promise!

“Players come on to your radar and then go off your radar and then may come back on to your radar later on. But we will have a squad that has a younger average age than last year.”

Towers added: “Guiseley have such a good reputation now that players have been knocking Steve’s door down – and good players too.”

Guiseley, who hope to sign one or two more players by the start of the league season, have added a pre-season friendly next Tuesday at Wakefield FC (7.45).

Entrance for spectators to the Rapid Solicitors Stadium at Belle Vue will be via the Superbowl-Wimpy car park.

The match will not only give the squad an extra game in which to work on their match fitness but also provide trialists with a late opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the squad that will welcome Solihull Moors in the league opener on Saturday, August 17.

Guiseley also travel to Farsley a week on Saturday for their last pre-season friendly.