Steven King is hoping to get his long-term future with Lewes sorted out in the next few weeks.

King has led the club to the dizzy heights of second place in Conference south ahead of tomorrow's derby with Eastbourne Borough at the Dripping Pan.

A fifth promotion in as many seasons remains on the cards if the Rooks can maintain their momentum in the second half of the season.

King's contract runs out at the end of the current campaign and there have been no discussions about extending it despite rumours linking him with a number of top non-league jobs.

The 36-year-old is adamant he wants to stay and lead the club into the top tier of non-league football but he is keen to get something sorted.

King said: "The club has said they want me to stay but we haven't sat down to discuss things yet.

"I feel that if something is working well you should keep it going.

"It's not a problem. I want to stay but I have a family and need to know where I am going.

"The speculation about other clubs doesn't unsettle me. It makes me feel appreciated and shows me how far we have come as a club in the last 18 months."

King's commitment to Lewes is unquestioned. While some managers may have taken it easy over the holiday, King went to watch four games in three days earlier this week to check out opponents and potential future signings.

He said: "I watched Maidenhead versus Basingstoke, then Bishop's Stortford against Hornchurch on Monday. On Tuesday I saw Farnborough against Morecambe, then on Wednesday it was Met Police and Bromley.

"I am working full-time and I am desperate for the club to progress. I have taken the club into the community and am now doing coaching in local schools.

"I am probably one of the hardest working managers and I do it because I think it gets results.

Style "When I first came here I wanted to establish a style of play that would bring the crowds in. We were probably getting gates of 200 when I took over, now we are getting 500.

"In a season and a half we have scored 184 goals which is good entertainment value."

The Rooks' 2-1 Boxing Day win away to Eastbourne Borough stretched their unbeaten league run to nine games. It is impressive form, particularly when survival was the name of the game at the start of the season.

King said: "As a club we have over-achieved but the set of players I have are quality and I believe they are doing themselves justice.

"There is no reason why we can't make the play-offs. I think the league is being split into three sections and there is a gap starting to appear after the top six."

Three points in the reverse fixture with Borough tomorrow would consolidate second place but King knows it will be tough.

Anthony Storey is ruled out by a one-match ban. King said: "It will be tougher for us because they will be wounded and will feel they didn't do themselves justice on Sunday."

Danny Davis replaces Storey after recovering from a toe injury.