OLI Johnson is aiming to use his loan spell at Bradford Park Avenue as a springboard towards re-establishing himself at Nethermoor.

The Guiseley striker has become reunited with former Lions boss Mark Bower and his assistant Danny Boshell at Avenue on a one-month loan.

He made his debut in last weekend’s 3-2 win at FC United of Manchester and is viewing the month-long stay as an opportunity to return to full fitness and prove his class.

Johnson is a fan of Avenue’s management team, saying: “I obviously know Bower and Boshell as well as probably around a third of the Avenue squad.

“It has been a smooth transition and is the most logical loan move I could have made.

“I've said it before, but when I was out for a good year to 18 months, I was on the scrapheap and Bower gave me the opportunity to get back into the game.

“I've always had a good relationship with him and I knew he was interested, so a short-term loan move here is the best option for me.

“I've just played the one game so far, which we won, so it was a good start.

“I know it's a cliche which gets said a lot, but it's a team who should not be at the bottom of the league when you look at the squad.

“Bower has brought in his own players and is trying to do it that way.

“I played down the middle against FC United and I enjoyed it - I felt quite fit and just got a little bit sore late in the second half.

“It was a tough game to play in but overall I was pleased with how it went.”

It has been a traumatic time at Guiseley this season with Bower having been sacked and replaced by Adam Lockwood.

Although the Lions recently engineered an upturn in form, they remain rock-bottom of the National League ahead of Saturday’s visit of Torquay.

Reflecting on his own situation at Nethermoor this season, 29-year-old Johnson said: “We had a bad start and around the time I got injured we had still not won.

“Around the week I was coming back, they brought a few players in and the lads got a big win over York.

“They followed that up against Southport with another win and a draw at Lincoln, so it wasn't great timing for myself in terms of coming back.

“I've fallen down the pecking order a bit and just need the games to get me going again to a decent level of fitness.

“As far as I'm aware, I'm still part of the plans at Guiseley and am just trying to get match fitness.

“Things in football can change pretty quickly, so you never know what can happen.

“I'm going to build up my match fitness and then see what happens at the end of the month.

“I'd like to think I will be needed and I'd say I'm a bit different to the other strikers at Guiseley.

“I can play wide, I can play down the middle and I can play behind the strikers.

“I'd like to think if needed then I can contribute one way or another further down the line.

“I feel I do have something to offer but it's more of a case of getting that match fitness and ridding myself of any niggles and knocks I have had.”