Joint assistant manager Lee Dykes confirmed on Tuesday evening that the capture of striker Richie Bennett on a two-year deal had taken time, patience and a lot of work by different departments at the club to get the move over the line.
“It’s one we’ve been working on for quite some time,” he said. “Everybody has been working hard to get it done and we’ve had great backing from the chairman, Nigel Clibbens and the board to make sure we could get it over the line.
“Everybody at this club has pulled together to get this done. It’s a heck of an investment from the football club and we’re just pleased to finally get there because we’re excited about what he can give us. I think the fans will enjoy watching him.”
“We’ve had tabs on the player for a while, we’ve taken good references about him and we’ve monitored his progress through his non-league career,” he explained. “He’s consistently scored goals and that’s something everyone knows we’ve been after.
“We believe the attributes he has will complement the group and we’re sure that he’ll continue in the same vein as he’s already demonstrated over the last few years.
“I think we’ve been crying out for a bit of a physical presence and that’s nothing against the strikers we have in the building. Those lads have attributes we all admire as well but we’ve needed that taller type of centre forward, certainly with the departures of Charlie Wyke, Jabo Ibehre and Jamie Proctor after at various stages last season.
They’re a rare breed and this is a good one to get over the line because he did really well in a strong team last year ...
“They’re a rare breed and this is a good one to get over the line because he did really well in a strong team last year. We have players here who can put the ball where he wants it and we think he’ll then put the ball where we want it – in the net.”
Speaking more about what we could expect to see from the former-Barrow and Northwich Victoria forward, he said: “He isn’t a 21 or 22-year-old prospect any more, he’s slightly older than that.
“We’ve watched him come through the non-league scene but we think there’s still room for him to develop. He’s on an upward curve and, having watched him numerous times, we’ve seen him come on leaps and bounds in a tough league. He could become a stand-out player here with us in our opinion.”
United PlayerHD subscribers - your platform is now called iFollow United. Click HERE to watch an interview with Lee Dykes now.
