It's just over six weeks since the curtain came down on Altrincham's first campaign as a full-time professional club, and the quest to bring in players who will strengthen the squad for next season is bearing fruit, with the club delighted to be able to confirm that several new signings have now been nailed down. In order to give each new arrival the spotlight he deserves, we are announcing the signings one by one on a daily basis between now and the end of this week.

Report by John Edwards

Photo courtesy of Harrogate Town FC

Phil Parkinson has boosted Altrincham's firepower by snapping up former Wrexham and Barrow frontrunner Dior Angus from League Two Harrogate Town.

The 29-year old has a proven record as a pacey striker with an eye for goal at Alty's level and above and will give the Robins extra attacking options next season, following a move that is subject to FA and National League approval.

Dior's time at Wetherby Road, now known as the EnviroVent Stadium, was disrupted by a serious ankle injury, but he vowed to hit the ground running in Alty colours after signing at the Robins' Egerton training ground.

"I started the first few games for Harrogate but then rolled my ankle and sustained some ligament damage which kept me out a while," he said. "I've had a difficult couple of years, with not playing much, but the gaffer here knows I'm still the player I was before the injury and has shown faith in me, which I appreciate.

"It was very much a one-off, one of those things that can happen in football, and I am fully recovered. If anything, you come back stronger after an injury like that, because of all the work you put in to ensure everything is 100 per cent.

"It's great to be here at Altrincham, and I can't wait to get the ball rolling - I want to get that feeling back of sticking the ball in the back of the net."

Reflecting on the latest addition to the attacking ranks at Alty, Phil said: "I’m delighted to announce the signing of Dior to the club. When I knew I could sign him, I did everything in my power to make it happen as quickly as possible, because plays like Dior, at his age and with his experience, don’t come along to teams like Altrincham very often.

"So, when the opportunity arose to take a player with his experience, it was something I just could not turn down. He is now at a point in his career where he should be coming into his prime - all the things that we were looking for to add to our squad.

"He embodies all the attributes we are looking for, league experience and life in football which will add great value to the group. His goalscoring record speaks for itself - if we’ve got the player I think we have, he should be a 20-goal-a-season striker at this level.

"As a person, he’s one of the nicest people you can come across in the game. He seems like the type of lad who would walk over hot coals for you. I think he will fit into our group perfectly and will push Regan Linney all the way for that number nine spot.

"This is ever so important to have competition in that area of the pitch to keep both players on their toes and even more clinical in from of goal, which is something we again need to improve on."

Coventry-born, the six-foot striker started out at Solihull Moors and had loan spells with several Midlands non-League clubs before getting his big EFL break with Port Vale in January 2018.

Six months later, he was loaned to Nuneaton in the Vanarama National League North, where, despite the Boro being rooted to the foot of the table, he rattled home 13 goals in 25 appearances.

A move followed to Barrow, where a highly-effective partnership with Scott Quigley was instrumental in the Bluebirds being promoted to League Two as National League champions in March 2020.

He joined Wrexham on an 18-month contract in February 2021 and was spearheading their push for promotion when the advent of the Hollywood era at the Racecourse signalled an influx of big-name signings that restricted his starting opportunities.

Even so, he made enough of an impression to earn himself a transfer to Harrogate for an undisclosed fee, only for a ruptured ankle ligament to stall his progress and give Alty boss Phil the chance to step in and offer him a fresh start at The J.Davidson Stadium.

On behalf of everyone at the club, Dior, we would like to extend a warm welcome to you and wish you every success in Alty colours.

*Watch out for an Alty TV interview with Dior here on the club's website tomorrow morning.