Damien McCrory has signed a new contract with Burton Albion to take his Brewers stay into a seventh year.

The 28-year-old left-back has put pen to paper on a one-year deal which will keep him at the Pirelli Stadium until June 2019, having originally joined the club from Dagenham and Redbridge in 2012.

McCrory - Albion's longest-serving current player - was a staple of the Burton teams that secured back-to-back promotions in 2014-15 and 2015-16, scoring some important goals from the back in the process.

He struggled for as much game time in the Championship, though, and endured a frustrating time last season, playing only three times on loan at League One Portsmouth before sustaining a knee problem that required surgery and then picking up several other injuries when back with the Brewers.

Now, as Albion gear up for life back in the third tier, Nigel Clough wants McCrory to kick on after signing his latest contract and become a regular in the team once again.

"We were keen to keep him, and he was keen to stay," said the Burton manager.

"He had a mixed season, it's been a difficult one for him.

"Now he has just got to work all summer, come back and really get to playing football at a good level, consistently, week in and week out.

"He had niggles - things like shoulders (McCrory partially dislocated his shoulder against Sunderland) you can't do anything about, but he had trouble with his knee.

Damien McCrory suffered a series of injuries in 2017-18
Damien McCrory suffered a series of injuries in 2017-18

"He needs to put all that behind him now and really get started in pre-season.

"It has been a stop-start season for him, but mainly stop.

"But he showed when he came back into the team, he played quite well at left-back for a while.

"I think in League One as well, a league down, we are looking at him to be a mainstay of the team next season."

With the deal now signed, McCrory himself is already looking forward to a seventh season at the Pirelli Stadium, where he has enjoyed plenty of memorable moments in the past.

"It was something I always wanted to do coming to the end of last season and I’m happy I have had the opportunity to sign a new contract and I can now look forward to next season," he said.

"All of the highlights of my career have come at Burton Albion and I’m very grateful for that.

"Next season will be my seventh here and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and hopefully we can have many more good times together."

McCrory made 38 League appearances in 2015-16 as the Brewers earned a historic promotion into the Championship.

He was a crucial part of the division's most miserly defence - and the quality he showed at that time is something Clough hopes will be of value again next season.

"When we were talking about all the contracts with the staff, someone said, 'don't forget that he was regarded as the best, or one of the best left-backs in League One just a couple of years ago'," added Clough.

"That was a major factor for him staying."