Former Chester FC defender James Jones has revealed the lure of full-time football and the potential to one day play in the English Football League (EFL) were the principal factors behind moving to Salford City.

The 19-year-old was offered fresh terms to remain at the Swansway Chester Stadium alongside Ryan Astles and fellow Academy graduate Tom Crawford towards the end of last season.

Astles will be lining up against the Blues in the National League North this campaign after joining Southport , while Crawford could be playing in the EFL in a few months time after being signed by League Two side Notts County .

Jones said earlier this month that, though he had not ruled out staying with the Blues at that stage, he needed to be at a club where he could play regular football .

“I need to be somewhere where I can play 30-35 games next season as that is the only way to continue my development, by playing football,” he said at the time.

“It is something that I have taken day by day to see what comes up but it is getting to the stage now where something needs to be sorted as you want to have yourself fixed up by the time pre-season comes around.”

And Jones – who made 15 appearances for the Blues last in the National League after breaking into the side – will continue to ply his trade in non-league football’s top flight after agreeing a two-year deal with the division’s new side and joint Chester bosses Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson’s former club, Salford City.

The move was confirmed a day after Salford midfielder Scott Burton moved in the opposite direction to Chester , who will be operating a part-time playing structure this season.

After joining the Ammies, the young central defender has explained why he opted for a move to Moor Lane and highlighted the prospect of playing the game full-time and the lure of gracing the EFL one day as big draws.

“I think personally for me, it was to move to a full-time environment, training most days, which will help improve my fitness and make me a better player,” he told Salford’s YouTube channel.

“Obviously the ambition of Salford to play in the Football League, that’s something which I was drawn to. Hopefully I can play in the Football League one day.”

Jones earned an England C cap earlier this season and joined the Ammies for an undisclosed fee plus a sell-on clause should he make a move elsewhere in the future .

He also took part in the V9 training camp started by Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy which aims to provide a platform for non-league talent to progress.

He will be playing his second second of professional football in the National League, which the Blues were relegated from last season.

“It’s a challenging league, it’s very physical, but I think there’s not a team in the league which you can take lightly,” he said.

“Every team you play, 1st to 24th, they’re all battling. There are good teams whoever you come up against.”