Former Dale striker Lee McEvilly has returned to Spotland for a third spell at the club, having joined on loan from Cambridge United until January.

Well this certainly came out of the blue.

The loan deal comes almost a year to the day since the last time he joined us. He had a spell on loan at Spotland last season, scoring three goals in seven appearances, and a permanent move was discussed until Accrington started talking silly figures for a striker available on a free transfer some months later, and he later joined Cambridge.

His time at Cambridge looks on paper to have been a successful one. He leaves the Abbey Stadium as top scorer for the U's, having scored eleven goals so far this season to add to last season's tally of five in an injury hit spell. 

It was expected that the paperwork for this signing will not be complete until after Tuesday's game at Gillingham, and having played for Cambridge United in the FA Cup already this season, the first game that he can play for Dale will be the trip to last season's Play Off opponents Darlington on Saturday week.

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