MARK Osman, one of the most gifted local non-League players of the Noughties, is ready to lace up his boots again.

The twinkle-toed frontman, who lit up Wembley for AFC Totton in the 2007 FA Vase final, is coming out of retirement to aid Totton & Eling’s Sydenhams Premier survival fight.

Having scored in both Vase semi-final legs against Billingham Synthonia to get T&E’s neighbours marching to The Arch, Osman’s name is forever etched in Totton football history.

Now a family man in his early 30s, his skills have been lost to the game since calling time on his career after AFC Totton’s Southern Premier play-off final defeat at Oxford City in May 2012, ending a 12-year stay with his home town club.

Osman, affectionately known as ‘Osey’, still lives locally and it’s his friendship with former Stags player Lee Thorne – now T&E’s co-manager with chairman Andy Tipp – that persuaded him to sign Wessex forms for the Millers on Tuesday.

Welcoming Osman on board, Tipp said: “Mark is good friends with Lee and he’s decided that maybe he shouldn’t give up football just yet.

“He’s about 31 now, which isn’t exactly old, and feels he’d like to give it one last go with a local club.

“He doesn’t want to go too low, he wants to play a decent standard locally and he knows a few of our lads.

“We’ve got good links with some of the old Totton players and it’s brilliant to get Mark here because he’s such a big crowd favourite. Fingers crossed we can get him in the squad for tomorrow’s game at Bemerton.”

Tail-enders T&E were comprehensively beaten 4-0 by league leaders Petersfield on Tuesday but, with Osman on board, hope springs eternal that they can yet climb out of the bottom two.

They are four points behind Fareham with a game in hand and five shy of 19th-placed Christchurch who have played two games more.

Despite conceding 98 times in the league this season, it’s the lack of goals scored that most concerns Tipp.

“Ourselves and Fareham have only scored 36 and that’s why we’re down where we are,” he said. “Our highest scorer is Steve Jenkin with seven league goals and that’s nothing, is it?

“It (survival) is still there for any club that can put two or three wins together. If we can get Osey in the side, who knows?”