Hutch tracked for over year by Alex

EE Bell has revealed that new signing Reece Hutchinson had been on the Alex radar for well over 12 months.

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The Crewe boss finally got his man when the left-back signed from Sligo Rovers for an undisclosed fee at the start of July.

The 25-year-old, who has also played for Burton and Cheltenham, penned a two-year deal at Mornflake Stadium.

Bell said it was a move that could have happened a year ago. When it didn’t, he bided his time.

“We've watched him for three transfer windows,” he explained.

“The recruitment team really did the homework on him. Last summer, we looked into it, but it was something we couldn't do because of financial reasons.

“This year, it’s been something we've been able to do, and we were delighted to get him.”

Hutchinson was in the middle of a season in the League of Ireland and therefore does not require the full preseason training schedule currently underway.

He has not taken part in friendly games yet but is expected to feature soon.