Manager Keith Hill has spoken enthusiastically about completing the signing of Mark Kitching on transfer deadline day.
Kitching, who had initially joined Dale on loan until the end of the season on Friday, penned an 18-month permanent deal before the window closed on Tuesday night.
Hill said: “The biggest pleasure for me on deadline day was signing Mark Kitching. I’m looking at the future, and getting the deal done brought a smile to my face.
“It’s things like that, that give me unbelievable pleasure, not just for the right here, right now, but for the future as well.”
He added: “You just know, don’t you. You know if it’s the right one or not and you’ve got to go with your instincts. You don’t have to be part of a recruitment team - you’ve got to have a feel for it, you’ve got to understand it and you’ve got to realise that this is right.
“What’s the point in waiting, sometimes you’ve got to dive in and be pleasantly surprised.
“I’m 100-percent convinced with Mark Kitching, and that’s why myself and Russ [Green, Dale Chief Exec] decided to get it done. Middlesbrough have been absolutely superb with us, as has Mark.
“There was no haggling, there was no nothing. It was a case of getting it signed and taking care of business – he’s my type of person.”
Watch the full interview on Dale PlayerHD.