Brian Barry-Murphy says Stephen Dooley an important part of his squad for this season and next after he signed a contract extension at the Club.
The 28-year-old put pen-to-paper on a one-year extension on Thursday, which the Dale boss sees as an important signing as he looks to evolve his squad.
“It’s brilliant that Stephen was so committed to want to stay at the Club,” said Barry-Murphy.
“For the last couple of seasons, we’ve managed to keep him relatively under the radar, but it’s been very noticeable this season that he’s attracting a lot more interest from opposition managers and supporters.
“We speak about having strong foundations and a strong core group, and we have an exceptional band of players contracted for next season of which Stephen is a part of.
“I think that should fill everyone with excitement as a Club as we move forward, looking to gradually, in every window, add little bits to the squad that make it even more dynamic, quicker and exciting.
“At the end of the day, we want to add excitement for the supporters. We appreciate how patient they have been this season, but to add that next bit of the team as we evolve is the exciting challenge for all of us.”
Barry-Murphy was speaking in his pre-match interview ahead of Saturday’s game against Coventry City, which can be viewed in full HERE.