Trundle leads deadline day arrivals

The Mariners threw down the gauntlet to their play-off rivals in the final hours of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's transfer deadline day with the signing of Welsh star Lee Trundle.

The former Wrexham, Bristol City and Swansea playmaker, pictured, is a friend of Marine manager Kevin Lynch and signed until the end of the campaign to boost the seventh placed Mariners hopes of claiming a play-off spot.

Trundle, 36, who made his name in Non-League before his skills earned him a move into the Football League with Wrexham in 2000 and later Swansea where he became a scoring legend with 76 goals in 146 appearances, could make his Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division debut on Easter Saturday when Nantwich Town arrive at the Arriva Stadium.

Marine manager Lynch said: "I am so pleased that Lee has agreed to join us until the end of the season. He is a personal friend who has agreed to come and help us with our final push. I'm sure this signing will give everyone a lift and our young players will learn so much from his ability and professionalism. I too am a Marine fan and I am so looking forward to seeing such a fantastic player in a Marine shirt."

In 2007 Trundle moved to Football Championship side Bristol City in a one million pound deal before switching to Leeds United on loan at the beginning of 2009. He returned to Swansea later that year but joined Neath FC in the Welsh Premier League in 2010 and then Preston North End in 2012. This season Trundle has been playing for Chester in the Conference North and Mariners Chairman Paul Leary is delighted with the club's big name signing.

"This is an incredible signing for Marine," said Leary on Thursday afternoon when the transfer was announced. "We still have an outside chance of making the play-offs and a player of Lee's experience will be a massive boost for everyone involved at Marine.

"It has been a difficult last couple of months in results terms but this signing is a real coup for our club and his presence will hopefully help us to finish the season on a high. We have only three home games left starting this Saturday against Nantwich Town followed by games against champion chasing Hednesford Town on Saturday 6 April and North Ferriby United, who are currently top of the league, on Saturday 20 April."

He added: "I urge all Merseyside football fans to visit the Arriva Stadium and support Marine in their efforts to finish as high as possible. These will be very difficult games but we do have a great set of players and with the inclusion of Lee Trundle playing from this Saturday, there is always hope."