Jim McNulty signed a two-year contract at the Crown Oil Arena in June 2015 to re-unite himself with manager Keith Hill.

He was Dale’s only ever-present in his first term at the club and his form and consistency saw McNulty sign a 12-month contract extension.

He continued to perform well last season and was rewarded with a further 12-month deal that ties him to Rochdale until the summer of 2019.

The defender had played Championship football under Hill at Barnsley, before leaving Oakwell to help Bury to promotion in 2014/15.

Aged 32, McNulty started his career with Wrexham, but didn’t play league football until joining Macclesfield in July 2006.

He moved to Stockport in January 2008 and was a member of the County side that won promotion from League Two four months later with a Wembley play-off defeat of Rochdale.

McNulty later played for Brighton and had two loan spells at Scunthorpe.