Lancaster City sign experienced former football league player Chris Dagnall

Lancaster City have signed experienced former English Football League player Chris Dagnall.

He is the NPL Premier Division side’s second summer signing after Marcus Cusani’s arrival last week.

Dagnall, 38, has spent most of his career as a striker but it’s understood he will operate as a midfielder while he is at The Giant Axe.

He has spent several years in the English Football League, with teams such as Barnsley, Crewe Alexandra, Leyton Orient and Tranmere, where he started his career and made a return over a decade later.  

Dagnall's longest spell at one club came between 2006 and 2010 when he played for Rochdale, for whom he scored 60 goals in 170 appearances across all competitions while ‘The Dale’ were in League Two.

He was at Scottish side Hibernian during the 2015-16 campaign when they won the Scottish Cup and were runners up of the Scottish League Cup.

Dagnall won promotion from League Two in two successive seasons from 2017 to 2019 at Bury and Tranmere as league runners up and playoff winners respectively 

In recent years, Dagnall has had two separate spells at Yeovil Town and has also played for fellow NPL side Ashton United and Hanley Town.

His last club was Stalybridge Celtic, where he worked with Lancaster boss Chris Willcock between October 2022 and May 2023. 

In other Lancaster City news this week, the versatile Ed Ikpakwu committed to the Dolly Blues for the 2024/25 season, five months after rejoining as Chris Willcock’s first ever signing.

The Lancaster-born Bailey brothers Sam and Charlie have extended their stays at the club, as has last season’s Supporters’ Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season winner, midfielder Christian Sloan.

Fellow midfielder Jamie Mellen has also committed for the season ahead, as have strikers Nic Evangelinos, Tom Kilifin and Dom Lawson, who was the Dolly Blues’ top scorer last season.

Lancaster City’s pre-season fixture schedule begins on July 5 when they play National League side AFC Fylde at The Giant Axe.

On July 13, they host another fifth-tier side in Altrincham, who finished in the league’s playoff places last season.

After that, the Festival of Football at Isle of Man FC, involving Lancaster, Chester, Radcliffe and the hosts, takes place from July 19 to July 21.

Away trips to Witton Albion (July 27) and Clitheroe (July 30) are followed up by the visit of League Two outfit Accrington Stanley to The Giant Axe on August 3.

The Northern Premier League season gets under way on August 10, with fixtures set to be announced in mid-July.