Captain signs two year deal

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Gary Jones.

Rochdale Captain Gary Jones has put pen to paper on a contract to extend his stay at Spotland to 2011.

It is believed that Dale's all-time record appearance holder turned down offers from clubs a division above Rochdale in order to stay with the team that he has led to the play-offs twice in the last two seasons.

By the end of his current deal, Jones will have spent 11 of the last 13 years at Rochdale, with a two year £200,000 move to Barnsley sandwiched inbetween.

Jones played a total of 34 games for Dale last season, while many supporters believed that his two month absence with a groin injury towards the end of the campaign was one of the major factors in Dale missing out on automatic promotion.

He returned to lead his side into the play-off semi-final games against Gillingham, in which Dale ultimately came unstuck at the Priestfield Stadium.