Striker Kyle Lightbourne is still not sure if he will be at Second Division club Stoke City this season...just weeks before the new campaign begins.

But the Bermudian professional could now be willing to see out the last two seasons of his contract with the club.

Transfer-listed by former manager Brian Little at the end of last season, Lightbourne is adopting a wait and see approach as new manager Gary Megson settles into the new job ahead of the new season which kicks off on August 7 at home to Oxford who were relegated from the First Division last season.

Megson was appointed manager just last week and his only major decision so far was to re-sign Kevin Keen -- given a free transfer by Little at the end of the season -- to another one-year contract.

"He's a big fan favourite, so I think the fans will be pleased with that,'' said Lightbourne of the team's player of the year.

"I'm sure there is going to be a lot of wheeling and dealing before the start of the season.'' Not much materialised when Lightbourne spoke recently to Megson. After a disappointing 1998-99 season under Little, Lightbourne had been anxious to leave the club, though his position may be changing.

"I had a word with him (Megson) last week and basically he just said to me he wanted to see how it goes and go from there,'' said Lightbourne yesterday. "I guess he is having a look at the whole squad and seeing what he wants. It's still early days in his managerial career at Stoke.

"I do have the security of my contract.'' Lightbourne stated he would be prepared to see out his contract with Stoke.

"As long as I'm a Stoke player I have to be committed to the club, until otherwise,'' said the Bermudian.

"I have to put 100 per cent into playing for Stoke City. If Brian Little was still manager I would be thinking on a different line -- not saying that I have anything against him but he was the manager who put me on the list.

"At the end of the day the final decision is down to me whether the manager wants me to stay or not. If don't want to leave Stoke, because the right club doesn't come in for me, I have the decision to stay.'' Lightbourne is anxious to put two disappointing seasons behind him and get back amongst the goals.

"If I get my chances I can stick the ball into the back of the net, something I didn't do regularly last season,'' said Lightbourne.

"I was happy with the way I was playing but goals are what count at the end of the day.'' Megson is Lightbourne's eighth manager since his first season in England with Scarborough in 1992-93. He first played under Ray McHale before Phil Chambers took over and released seven players in April, 1993...Lightbourne being one of them.

His next move was to Walsall where he scored freely under two managers before he was allowed to leave the club two years ago to fulfill an ambition of playing in the Premier League, signed by Coventry manager Gordon Strachan.

After a brief loan period at Fulham, Lightbourne moved to struggling Stoke near the end of the 1997-98 season. By the end of last season he had played for two managers, Chris Kamara and Little, with Megson now the third and eighth of his pro career.

"This will be their third season at this stadium (Brittania) and already this is their fourth manager,'' Lightbourne points out.

"It's a hot seat at the moment: if you make two years in managerial at Stoke it's considered a long time.'' Kyle played in the first half of last weekend's friendly match against Bolton Wanderers which Stoke won 2-1. More important than the result was that manager Megson got the opportunity to look at the majority of his squad as he fielded two different teams, one in the first half and another in the second.

Today, Stoke play another pre-season friendly against non-league team Newport.

"I imagine it will be more of the same, playing two different teams,'' said Lightbourne.

"After that he'll probably start cutting the squad down to 18 and start building up for the season. He reminds me a bit of Chris Nichol when I was at Walsall, the same type of principles in terms of playing the game.

"It looks like he'll be looking to play a 4-4-2 which will be a change of system.'' Waiting game: Kyle Lightbourne (left) will get another opportunity to show new Stoke boss Gary Megson what he can do in a friendly against Newport County today. Lightbourne was transfer listed by previous manager Brian Little before Little was sacked by the Potteries club, but could see out the two years left on his contract if he impresses.