Russ Dunkley Signs Contract With AFC R&D

AFC Rushden & Diamonds are delighted to announce that Russ Dunkley has signed a contract with the club until the end of the 2014-15 season.

32-year-old striker Russ joined the club in June 2013, after helping Kings Lynn to promotion in the Evostik Northern Premier League Division One South during the 2012-13 season. He had joined the Linnets following a successful title campaign at Long Buckby in the UCL Premier in the 2011-12 season, scoring 35 goals in 39 games. He made 39(2) appearances for the Diamonds in 2013/14, scoring 23 goals and picking up two player of the month awards, as well as the FA Player of the Round award for his five goal tally against Cockfosters in the FA Cup.

Taking time out from his holiday abroad to speak to afcdiamonds.com Manager Andy Peaks said: “I am delighted that Russ has pledged his commitment to the club – he’s an important player for us and came back to pre-season training in excellent physical condition. I hope that this signing goes some way to demonstrating the ambition which both myself and the club share for a successful season on the pitch.”

Assistant manager Paul Lamb added: “Myself and Andy are delighted that Russell has committed to the club, as most people are aware Russell had a number of clubs pursuing him at the end of the season so his decision to continue to play his football with us is great news. Russell has worked incredibly hard during pre-season and his performances in the pre-season fixtures have reflected that hard work. I’m sure supporters of the club will agree that Russell will be a headache to many defenders in the league this season.”

Chairman Ralph Burditt also commented: “Russ has shown all the qualities which we look for in a player during his time at the club – desire, commitment, passion and respect. He is a man of his word and has already said that he isn’t going anywhere this season, which was good enough for both myself and the management team. However, it’s no secret that we’ve had approaches for him from clubs at higher levels, for example Cambridge City, so when we began to speak about plans for the forthcoming season, we agreed with Russ that the best thing to do was to get his commitment to AFC R&D down on paper. This way, any distractions such as approaches from other clubs and the speculation surrounding them are removed and Russ can concentrate on doing what he does best – scoring goals.”

Image courtesy of Malcolm Swinden Photography Copyright Mal Swinden ©2014

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