Stirling Albion have announced the signing of young striker Blair Henderson from League Two rivals Berwick Rangers on a two-year deal.

The 21-year-old found the back of the net three times against the Binos last season and has agreed terms with the Forthbank side until the end of the 2017/18 season, writes Jamie Hall.

Manager Stuart McLaren was delighted to have made his seventh signing of the summer and believes Henderson will be a success at the Albion.

The Binos boss is anxious to win promotion to back to League One after missing out last season, and says his latest recruit can fire his side to promotion.

McLaren told Stirling News Sport: “Blair will bring goals first and foremost. He has a great track record from his time with Berwick. He is a young player whose goal ratio is high, and he is hungry to further his career. We are delighted that he sees Stirling Albion as the place to do that and his attitude is one that fits with what we want at the club. He is somebody who has great aspirations, firstly to take Stirling Albion up and also to go on and play at a higher level himself.

“Not all of the burden is going to be on Blair but we are certainly looking for him to make a good contribution. I think as long as we can place him in a side that is going to create the same number of chances we did last year, it stands to good reason that he will get a good goal tally. He will complement the other attackers we already have, like Marc McKenzie, Eddie Ferns, Darren Smith and Moses Olanrewaju. These are all guys who pose a good goal threat and allied to what Blair can bring, they should provide a good enough tally to get us the results we want.

“We didn't achieve the targets we set out last year. That happens in football. From my perspective, it has been a good show of faith from the board that they believe myself and Martyn are the right people to take the club forward. It's important that us and the rest of the staff identify the areas where we need to be stronger and do our best to rectify them. From the perspective of the playing squad, Blair is our seventh new signing and I am confident that the players we have brought in, along with those we've retained, will make the squad stronger for the coming season.”

McLaren says his squad is in good shape ahead of the new season and believes he has strengthened his side as they look to mount a title challenge.

He said: “I would say we have filled every position we set out to fill. We felt that the way things panned out over the course of the season made it clear that we needed to strengthen in the middle of the park. Bryan Hodge, Sean Dickson, Darren Petrie and Jack McCue will make sure that our midfield is as strong as any in the league. At the back, we always felt that we were very capable and that was with having an unsettled lineup. We are going to work very hard to make sure that people like Ross McMillan don't spend too long on the sidelines. We knew we needed to strengthen in the forward areas, and if you look at the signings of Henderson, Ferns and McKenzie in particular, along with Darren and Moses, we are in good shape there.”

The manager also revealed that experienced Frenchman Aurelien Mazel is very close to agreeing a deal to stay with the club for a second season.

McLaren added: “We are very close to finalising a deal. Aurelien wants to stay with the club and we want him to stay. He is in an age bracket now where you have to consider how effective his contribution is going to be on the pitch but he never suffered from any injuries last season. He is a good professional who takes care of himself and works hard in training. His experience and his manner around the dressing room are great for us so hopefully we can get that one announced. It is all looking positive.”