AFC Fylde smash Transfer Record to land Midfielder

AFC Fylde have smashed their transfer record to sign Ryan Croasdale from Kidderminster Harriers.

The 23-year-old joins the Coasters for a £50,000 fee with the aim of clinching promotion with his new side.

He joined Kidderminster after spells with Sheffield Wednesday and Preston didn’t work out, and the England C international knows Fylde is the club to be at if he wants to prove himself in the Football League.

“You can tell the direction the club are heading in.” He told the club’s official website. “The size of the stadium and the money being invested. It’s a very ambitious club.

“Ever since I left Sheffield Wednesday I have wanted to get back into the League. Hopefully I can pursue that with Fylde.”

“Promotion is the aim this year. The club has had two terrific season and went so close last year. Hopefully we can build on that.

Kidderminster have narrowly missed out on promotion to the National League in the last couple of seasons with Croasdale and his presence will surely be missed.

The midfielder said that although leaving Harriers was a tough decision, the move made sense for him in a number of ways.

“I felt like it was the right time to move on. I had two great years at Kidderminster and I’d like to thank them for everything they did for me.

“Was it a difficult decision to leave…yes and no. Location wise it wasn’t ideal for the family so this is a better fit. I live locally in Lancaster so it’s much closer and that was one of the factors.

“The move was inevitable because I wanted to make the step up and further my football career.”

The transfer fee is sure to raise eyebrows around the National League but Croasdale isn’t bothered by it and wants to let his football do the talking.

He said: “The transfer fee doesn’t put me under pressure, it fills me with confidence. Football is all about confidence and I want to embrace that and hopefully perform.”

Croasdale has also made an impression on the international stage, boasting four caps for the England C team and recently captained Paul Fairclough’s side to a 3-2 win over Wales.

“It is really good to be involved. I have played a few games for England C but to get the armband was a real honour and we won the game too, which was a bonus.”

Croasdale will join up with his new teammates on Monday when the squad report back to Mill Farm for pre-season training.

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