Alex Morris admits that the age of players did not necessary come into his thinking when identifying potential transfer targets this summer – but the need for them to have over 100 first team matches under their belts was one of the credentials the recruitment team sought when putting names forward to the management team.

The need to have had first team experience was one of the main criteria issued by Morris as he aimed to add seniority to his young squad following the departures of club captain Luke Murphy, Mikael Mandron and Chris Porter.

Morris told the club’s official website: “We didn’t specialise in age as such, but we wanted players who had played 100 plus games and when that is part of the criteria, you tend to get players that are 24, 25, 26 because that is where they should be at that time in their careers.

“We have signed players around that certain age and they all have various experiences. They have all had different pathways if you like and we know all about Kelvin (Mellor) and what he brings at his age. He just adds to the dressing room in that he was a young player here, left us for various clubs and has now returned.

“We just wanted to identify good players and players who can come here and improve the team. We didn’t necessarily want to improve the squad because we have numbers and depth to it with the young players, but we needed to add to the quality to the team first and foremost.”