Ashley Eastham became the latest recruit to join Team Rochdale this week after penning a two-year-deal with the club on Thursday and Manager Keith Hill admits that he’s delighted to have him on board.
The 22-year-old showed no hesitation in putting pen to paper and Hill told Dale Player that he is going to be an excellent signing.
“He’s got very good experience for his age - he’s got experience in League One and he has been at a Championship club. Having spoken to him we realised his ambition, and his approach to the game reminds me character wise of Craig Dawson. He’s enthusiastic, he’s going to be a disciple and he’s going to put his faith and his trust in myself and the coaching team to establish himself and to improve him.
“For someone who is 22 he is very mature in his thoughts about why he has come to the Football Club and he wants to be successful. He is mobile which is important to me and he has got the relative experience I expect.”
Eastham is the second centre half to commit to Dale in the last seven days following the arrival of Olly Lancashire last Friday, and Hill says he wants one more.
“I want one more centre half and again it will be a central defender who might or might not have experience but I will put my trust in them and they will put their trust in me to guide them.
“I’m not afraid to go with players who haven’t got experience. There seems to be this big thing about needing experience, but you don’t. You need people who are going to give themselves to you as a manager and entrust you to develop them to be successful for this Football Club and that is what I have had in previous experiences at Rochdale. Yes I have had experience with respect to the Gary Jones’ of this world but the Gary Jones has now evolved into the Brian Barry Murphy, the Peter Cavanagh and the Ian Henderson with respect to their standing in the changing room. They will be leaders.
“We’ll promote a ‘we not me’ philosophy that will include everybody at the Football Club as we strive to be successful. We’re going to have a unity and everybody is going to give their all. We’ve got an unwritten contract with the players to help one another in our strive for success.”