Graham Stack hopes he can help Barnet push for promotion in the future after he signed a new three-and-a-half year contract with the Bees.

Since joining the club on a free transfer in August, the 31-year-old has established himself as one of the Bees’ key players.

He provides valuable experience, is a commanding presence and has captained the side in the absence of Edgar Davids.

It is unusual for League Two sides to hand out long deals but Stack’s new contract will keep him with the Bees until 2016.

The former Arsenal and Hibernian keeper is pleased to remain at Underhill and he feels the club has a bright future.

He said: “I’m really, really happy here. I’m probably as happy as I’ve been in years in regards to being settled and enjoying playing football.

“I think it is a club with genuine ambition. We have got great facilities and a new stadium on the way, so it’s got all the makings of a really bright future.

“It is something that I wanted to be a part of and I am really pleased to have put pen to paper.”

Stack continued: “From a family point of view as well it is good for me. I have done a lot of moving around in recent years with loans and then moving up to Scotland so to stay here is pleasing.

“I think it is also just rewards for the work I have put in. That is not just this season but over my whole career. I have never been afraid of hard work and I think to be rewarded with a three-and-a-half year contract speaks volumes.

“I think that sends signals out to other people that we are planning for the future. So I am delighted but by no means will I relax and put my feet up, that is not in my nature.

“I always strive to be better and I want to be successful. Having that three years in front of me gives me and the club time to try and make something happen.

“Whether that is promotion or a good cup run, who knows? But I am here now for a while to come and I want to help the club achieve something."

After taking just three points from the first 11 games, the Bees' form has dramatically improved and they've claimed 26 points from 17 matches since Edgar Davids' arrival.

Barnet are one of the form sides in the division but Stack stressed that the Bees must continue to pick up results if they’re to remain clear of the bottom two.

He explained: “Football changes very quickly. You can be talking about relegation and battling for every point only to then have a good run of games and it changes.

“We are not out of the woods yet though. There is still a lot of work to be done and we still need to get results.

“But I genuinely believe that if can get ten points from the next five games then we can look at teams above us rather than those in and around us.

“We need to take a group of four of five games at a time, which we have been doing, then we can assess how we are doing and set ourselves further targets."

While Barnet have beaten promotion chasing sides such as Gillingham and Rotherham United, they've slipped up against the teams around them in the table.

Stack feels the Bees should be beating the likes of AFC Wimbledon, Aldershot Town and Accrington Stanley at home in order to make a "statement of intent" to the rest of the league.

He added: “If we had won those games, and we have the ability in the side to have, we would be looking at a very different league table.

“We didn’t win those matches but then have made up for it by winning at some of the bigger sides.

“So we regret not picking up as many points as we perhaps should have at home.”