Everyone at Rochdale Football Club would like to congratulate Scott Hogan on his move to Aston Villa.
The former Dale striker has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at Villa, after Brentford accept a bid for him.
Hogan rejoined Rochdale in the summer of 2013 and left the club 14 months later to sign for the Bees.
The striker had come through Dale’s youth system before moving into non-league at the end of his scholarship, where he remained on Keith Hill’s radar.
After returning to the club, he burst onto the League Two scene during the 2013-14 campaign, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, including two hat-tricks, to help Rochdale to promotion. He also earned himself a Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month Award and a League Two Player of the Year nomination.
At Brentford, he showed great determination to overcome serious injury and has gone on to light up the Championship, scoring 21 goals in 36 appearances for Brentford.
We can confirm that a sell on clause was in place and Rochdale Football Club will receive a percentage of the profit made by the Bees.
Chairman Chris Dunphy commented: “We wish Scott every success at Villa.
“From our point of view, this is great business.
“We did our bit when Keith Hill brought Scott back to Rochdale after seeing off competition from other clubs, and we sold Scott because of the development he made while he was here.
“When he left, a deal was done to ensure that we would benefit from any future progress that he made. That’s the way we do business and that’s what we’re all about at this club.
“One of the reasons Rochdale Football Club is so successful is because of the way we operate as a club. The stability of this football club will always be paramount and this income helps secure our future for at least the next couple of years.”