Jermaine Johnson has decided to stay and play his part in the relegation fight at Stafford Rangers after turning down a move to local rivals AFC Telford.

Telford were free to speak to the Rangers centre-half yesterday after putting in a seven-day approach the previous week, but Johnson has decided against leaving and has informed Bucks boss Andy Sinton.

The former Derby County defender has captained the team in the absence of Craig McAughtrie to a hip injury and has revelled in the responsibility, scoring the first goal in the 2-1 win at Gloucester that lifted Rangers out of the relegation places.

The 20-year-old has played all of his first-team football at Rangers and is desperate to help the club avoid the drop, much to the dismay of Sinton.

He said: “Jermaine is going to stay where he is. We had been contacted by people telling us he was interested in a move but he captained Stafford on Saturday and scored.

“I have had a message that he thinks it is the right thing to help them get out of the mess they are in.

“That’s highly commendable but it may show a lack of ambition on his part.”

Johnson could again captain the side in the Staffordshire Senior Cup semi-final at home to Kidsgrove Athletic tonight, with the winners to face what will likely be a youthful Stoke team in the final.

It all depends on McAughtrie, who is approaching fitness and needs games, with fellow central defender Mark Dudley in the same position after returning to the team.

Rangers manager Matt Elliott will also debate whether to make further changes to the team with Saturday’s trip to in-form Eastwood in mind, but the club reached the final of the competition in 2009 and then avoided relegation from the Blue Square North.

And how Elliott would settle for that same scenario now.

He said: “You never know and I would take that now, but we can’t afford to look too far ahead and we have, literally, got to focus on one game at a time – that old cliche.

“It would be a lovely scenario if that was to happen, we would be delighted with that, but there’s a lot of hard work to do before we can start thinking along those lines.

“At the end of the day, it’s a cup semi-final and a competition we would like to think we have a good chance of progressing further in.

“Kidsgrove are a decent team in their own right, challenging for promotion in their league, so they are no mugs and it will be a tough game.

“I want to win the game, first and foremost, but it might be an opportunity for certain players to get some game time under their belts.

“I am sure we will need every member of the squad between now and the end of the season.”