CRAIG McAllister says he cannot wait for his new football challenge at Stevenage Borough to begin.

The 23-year-old striker signed for Graham Westley's side on a two-year deal six weeks ago when he became a free agent after his contract at Basingstoke Town expired.

McAllister and fiance Carly moved from their home in Eastleigh to Hitchin over the weekend to settle in before pre-season training begins for the Conference side in July.

McAllister (pictured) said: "We're both looking forward to it. It's a nice area and we've got ourselves a nice flat to live in.

"I've been to the ground and seen all the facilities, and they're fantastic. I've not met the players yet, so that's all to come.

"But I've started my own training to make sure I'm fit and ready to start in July.

"There's a lot of pre-season friendlies which are going to be brilliant to play in.

"We've got Tottenham, Northampton, Brighton and Oxford at home, plus around four to five away games. They're trying to get Saints as well, so it's quite exciting to be going up against those sorts of players. But that's always what I've wanted to do and where I've wanted to prove myself - at the highest level possible."

Getting a replacement for McAllister is a priority for his former boss, Ernie Howe, who is pursuing his front line targets over the summer.