DEFENDER Pat Baldwin still has the desire to capture success and is targeting a promotion charge with the Terras next term.

The 32-year-old penned a one-year contract at the Bob Lucas Stadium earlier this month after not being retained at Exeter City.

He will now be balancing his part-time football career alongside a teacher training course.

Having come back from a serious knee problem for the final 15 minutes of last season, Baldwin, who had previously thought about walking away from the game, believes the challenge with his new club was something that “re-ignited the fire in my belly”.

Speaking about the deal, the former Colchester, Southend and Bristol Rovers' centre-half told Echosport: “I knew that my Exeter contract wasn’t renewed and I had kind of made the decision that I wanted to give up football full-time and go into teachers training.

“Jason (Matthews) gave me a call. I met up with him along with quite a few other non-League managers, but I really like Jason, he is a decent guy, and I like the sound of Weymouth as a club and a team.

“I am not really one for trying to play as high as I can. I am one for the feeling about people, the feeling about clubs and, as cringeworthy as it sounds, it just felt right.

“I have still got ambitions. I have been a professional footballer and still want to win things as well.

“Speaking to Jason and the ambition of getting promotion re-ignited the fire in my belly and I wouldn’t mind another promotion in my career.”

And Baldwin is enthusiastic about joining up with the Weymouth squad, who are set to report for pre-season training this week.

He added: “I came back for the last 15 minutes of last season.

“Because I was out for so long, and that was the only time I had been back from that long injury, I just got the feeling back that I couldn’t walk away.

“I am very much looking forward to meeting up with the squad."