DARLINGTON have recruited Lee Gaskell from Ramsbottom United having been impressed with the striker when he faced them earlier this month.

Quakers manager Martin Gray had a long-term interest in the player, predating the clubs’ fixtures this month, but he lodged an interest in him immediately after his team had defeated Ramsbottom 2-1 at Heritage Park on September 8 on an evening when Gaskell was his team’s standout performer.

Gaskell played last Saturday in the reverse fixture, which Gray’s team won 3-0, while he was also in the Ramsbottom side that defeated Darlington in the play-off semi final at the end of the 2013-14 season, which saw the forward top the scoring charts.

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He won the Evo-Stik North Division’s Golden Boot award with 29 goals, but most of his team-mates from that promotion-winning campaign have since moved on – eight of them to Salford City midway through last season. Gaskell himself had a short spell with Warrington before returning, but Ramsbottom are now rock-bottom of the table without a win 12 matches this season.

The striker’s final appearance was in Tuesday’s 7-1 defeat at Nantwich Town, and he will hope to make his Darlington debut in Saturday’s match at home to Marine.

On Twitter, Gaskell said: “A massive thank you to all associated with Ramsbottom United, especially  the fans and that legend of a chairman Harry Williams.”

Gray was in the North-West this evening to complete the deal for the Manchester-based player and he said: “He’s exactly what we’ve been looking for.

“He’s experienced, his build-up play is good, he’s got a lot of pace, he’s got good work-rate and he scored the most goals in the division below a couple of years ago, just like Nathan Cartman did.”

Gaskell was not under contract with Ramsbottom and his arrival should signal an end to Alan White’s use as an emergency striker.

The veteran defender has been moonlighting in the forward line, to good effect too by scoring four goals, but bringing in a natural forward is clearly a progressive move, and it frees up White to continue playing at centre-back alongside Kevin Burgess.

Gray admitted that Gaskell required some persuading to leave the North-West club, saying: “I’ve been working on this one for a while, believe me, it hasn’t happened overnight this one.

“I suppose it’s like trying to persuade a player living in the North-East to go and play for Salford, it’d be a big ask. There’s been a lot of talking on the phone, but I’m so pleased to bring him to the club and he can see what we’re about.

“Anyone at the top of the goalscoring charts always catches your eye and you keep an eye on his movements.

"He went to Warrington for a bit during their FA Cup run, but he’s been loyal to Ramsbottom and went back to them. He’d been with them for a few years and come up through the leagues and improved with them, but now he’s come to us.”

Gaskell first joined Ramsbottom in the 2010-11 season and went on to score 113 goals in 224 games.