BURY skipper Nathan Cameron insists the Shakers must keep hold of star striker Leon Clarke.

The forward has been heavily linked with a move away from Gigg Lane this week and according to reports in the West Midlands, the former Coventry City striker has been the subject of two bids.

Although the Sky Blues have declared their interest in taking Clarke back to the Ricoh Arena, they have not yet made an approach to Bury.

Sheffield United, who signed Bury left-back Chris Hussey for an undisclosed fee two weeks ago, are understood to have made an initial bid for the forward, but the offer was later withdrawn.

The 31-year-old striker scored 18 times for the Shakers last term, and Cameron says keeping hold of their top goalscorer will be huge for the coming season.

“It would be massive if we could keep hold of him,” Cameron told the Bury Times.

“Leon was massive for us last year. He contributed so many goals to the team and we could have been in a real sticky place at the end of the season had he not.

“Teams are always going to come in for your best players, especially if they're scoring 15 plus goals a season, but he is a crucial part of our team and it would be great to have him here next year.”

Former Bury player and manager Alan Knill, now assistant manager at Sheffield United, is keen to link up with the striker he managed at Scunthorpe United in 2012.

However, the Blades have already taken left-back Hussey to Bramall Lane and Cameron believes the 27-year-old, who he shared a house with, will also be missed at Gigg Lane.

The Bury skipper said: “I have spoken to Hussey since he moved and he's happy to have moved to Sheffield United.

“Obviously we lived together and became quiet close.

“I definitely wasn't in the know at all and it came as quite a surprise when I found out.

"He is one of the best left-backs in this league and we will miss him, especially his delivery from set-pieces – we scored a quite a lot of goals from them.

“But that's football and we have to get on with it and I'm sure we'll bring in another left-back soon.”

The squad is due to return for pre-season training on Wednesday, June 29, and Cameron, who missed the last three months of the season with a knee injury, is hoping to be fit in time to join the rest of the squad.

“I've just started jogging again now but I haven't kicked a ball in three or four months,” he said. “I'm back training again and hoping to be fit and available for pre-season.

“Having missed the end of last season I can't wait to get going again. I have started training two weeks early so I'm fit for when the lads regroup.”

Meanwhile, utility man Craig Jones this week signed a deal to stay at Gigg Lane for another year after the club triggered an extension clause in his contract.

But Danny Pugh, who was also offered a new deal at the end of last season, has yet to put pen to paper.