JASON TALBOT got his wish in signing a new Pars deal and now he’s targeting another – a place in the top flight.

The experienced full back agreed a one-year contract to extend his stay at East End after returning from holiday and insists that a play-off place is the minimum that they should be aiming for.

Talbot, 31, believes a title challenge is within their capabilities and cited a strong second half to last season’s campaign as reason to be optimistic.

“There are massive challenges for us as a club and for myself, and I want to progress even further and help the club as much as possible,” he told Press Sport.

“Promotion is our aim, either by challenging for the title or through the play-offs. The play-offs is the minimum we should be going for and the momentum we had towards the end of last season, with the nucleus we’ve got already can push us along. Hopefully, we can add a few more players to the squad and get promotion. That’d be a great achievement.

“I think it’s going to be more of an open league. Last year, Hibs had the bigger budget, the bigger squad, and you’d always say they were going to be favourites from the start and rightly so. This season, most teams will have similar squads and similar budgets, so it’s going to be much more of an open contest.

“A title challenge is there for us. If we hit the ground running I don’t see why we can’t challenge for it.”

He continued: “I think it’s down to how we start. We didn’t start well last season but I think where we finished was pretty respectable and that’s a stepping stone for where we want to be next season.

“I’m excited to join the club for another season. I don’t know if there were any offers from elsewhere but I didn’t look; I always wanted to stay at Dunfermline and I stated that at the end of the season.

“The gaffer said all along that I was in his plans and, obviously, he had his priorities that he wanted to get which is understandable. You have to build your squad the way he wants it.

“I wasn’t finished with Dunfermline and now I’m here for another season. I’m looking forward to pre-season.”