Keith Hill spoke to iFollow after completing the signing of Matt Done on a two-year deal...
“I’m really pleased. First and foremost, I should apologise to the supporters who attended Wednesday's fans forum, because the deal hadn’t been concluded when I answered the questions.
“Matty Done is a player that I, and the Chairman, reluctantly gave the green light to move to Sheffield United. It made perfect business sense for the club, and at the time, Matty wanted to leave.
“Once he’d shown the inclination that he wanted to come back to Rochdale, it’s something I tried to pursue with the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive and Done’s representatives, and we’ve managed to get the deal done. It has been ongoing for some time behind the scenes and I'm really pleased that we've managed to get it done prior to the start of the season.”
After Hill switched Done from left-back to an attacking role during the 2014/15 season, Done bagged 14 goals in 28 Dale games from that position, but as Hill explains, Done brings more than just goals to the side.
“I see him as an essential ingredient to the way that we do things. The goals will come naturally with respect to the way that we play and the way we do things, but the fact that he scored goals is not the reason for bringing him back.
“The way that he operates and the way that he works is the only reason I wanted to bring Matty back. As a result of what he does he will get goal scoring opportunities, as will the other players.”
You can watch the full interview on iFollow.