STRIKER Chris Martin has admitted he would be disappointed to see off-the-field issues scupper his chances of staying at the County Ground until the end of the season.

With Swindon Town currently up for sale manager Paolo Di Canio has no money with which to add to his squad during this month’s transfer window and, with the loans of Martin and Danny Hollands up on February 2, it was revealed last week those deals will not be extended unless a buyer is lined up in time.

Di Canio has previously insisted he would be willing to spend his own money to keep his loan stars at the club and Martin took great confidence from that show of faith, saying he is hopeful of staying in Wiltshire for the duration of the club’s promotion challenge.

“I have spoken to the manager and he has made his position clear, and I am clear in what I want to do and that is stay here until the end of the season,” he said.

“It would be a disappointment if that doesn’t happen, but I can’t think of that and I want to focus on football and score as many goals and pick up as many points as possible.

“To hear the manager say things like that (spending his own money to extend the loan) is flattering for me and Danny, because it is good enough just to get in his squad let alone say things like that.

“It’s a massive confidence booster and I am looking to use that to spur me on because he has been there and done it himself as a player.”

While Martin continues to think about his possible future with Swindon, he believes the squad shouldn’t think too far ahead and the prospect of being involved in a battle for automatic promotion.

“We are not going to get too carried away, and although it is an old cliché and it is very boring, we are just going to take each game as it comes,” he said.

“If you look too far ahead you can go into things and get carried away with yourself.

“Our next game is Tranmere and they have done very well since the last time we played them, so they are going to be hard to beat.

“It is exciting to be playing in a game which is third against first, and we will be going there to give a good account of ourselves.”