Striker Abdulai bolsters attack
STOCKPORT County’s recruitment drive reached double figures with the addition of Sierra Leone attacker Abdulai BellBaggie.
Winger Micah Evans and versatile midfielder Kevin Holsgrove became the eighth and ninth new boys last week, and Young has now bolstered his attacking options with the capture of BellBaggie.
Bell-Baggie trained with boss Neil Young’s squad on Tuesday night after agreeing a deal with The Hatters earlier in the afternoon.
The wide midfielder, who can also play as a striker, left National League play-off winners Bristol Rovers at the end of last season after only joining the club in March.
But the 23 year-old forward will be more recognised by his three seasons spent at Tranmere Rovers, where he made 55 appearances and found the net just four times.
Despite Tranmere’s appointment of Micky Adams, whom Bell-Baggie had previously worked with at Port Vale, the former England Under-17 man was released in Janu- ary and soon signed a short-term contract at the Memorial Stadium.
“He’s played about 100 games – most of those at Tranmere – and is someone who can play out wide and up front.
“I have no doubt he will be an exciting and excellent signing for us,” Young told the club’s official website.
After a number of caps at England youth level, Bell-Baggie progressed to the Reading senior squad in 2009. He never made an appearance for the Royals however, instead going through a spate of loan spells at Rotherham Utd, Port Vale and Crawley Town.
Bell-Baggie’s first senior international appearance came two years ago when he featured in a World Cup qualifier for his native Sierra Leone against Cape Verde.
The attacker joins Karl Ledsham, Danny Morton, Gareth Roberts, Sean O’Hanlon, Andy Robinson, Glenn Rule, Lamin Colley, Holsgrove and Evans in Young’s Edgeley Park overhaul.
Meanwhile, the six transfer-listed Hatters all took part in Tuesday night’s training session.
Scott Duxbury, Mark Lees, Chris Churchman, Danny Glover and Kristian Dennis were all in attendance at Cheadle Nomads, where County have trained a number of times over the past few seasons.
Dennis, the club’s top scorer in 2014/15, has agreed to join Macclesfield Town on a seasonlong loan.
‘I have no doubt he will be an exciting and excellent signing’