Evan Horwood explained how Jon McCarthy’s powers of persuasion helped convince him that Chester was the right place to continue his career.
While on loan from Northampton Town last season, Horwood helped Grimsby Town and caught the eye of McCarthy when the then caretaker boss scouted the Mariners.
The 30-year-old was McCarthy’s number one target for the left-back spot and the pair first spoke several weeks ago but the deal looked to be out of reach.
Horwood and McCarthy remained in contact and following further talks the defender, who still lives on the Wirral from his time with Tranmere Rovers, became the fifth new face to sign for the Blues this summer on Wednesday.
“The gaffer’s been brilliant with me,” said Horwood, who will train with the squad on Friday ahead of a pre-season game at Sandbach United this weekend as the build up to the first league game at Gateshead on August 6 steps up a notch.
“I’ve spoke to him a few times and I only live down the road about 15 minutes from Chester so it’s ideal for me. I’m starting a family and it’s perfect all round really.
“The feeling I got from the gaffer was that he wanted me. I spoke to a few other people but there was no-one else as keen as what the gaffer was for wanting me to sign and that’s fair play to him and I’m over the moon to be signing.
“I can’t wait to get going. I’ve had a look at the fixtures and we’ve got a tough opening game but hopefully we can get a couple of three points to get us on our way.”
Horwood, who like McCarthy hails from Teeside having been born in Billingham, has clocked up over 350 appearances in a career that began with Sheffield United before moves to Carlisle United, Hartlepool United, Tranmere and Northampton as well as loan spells at Stockport County, Scunthorpe United, York City, Chester City, Darlington, Gretna and Grimsby.
Despite his extensive list of clubs, Horwood isn’t familiar with anyone in the current Blues squad but has a decent idea how the team will line-up under McCarthy having been part of the Grimsby team that lost 2-1 to them in April.
“I’ve been around the game for quite a bit but I don’t think I know any of the lads but it will be good to get to know them,” he said.
“I was at Grimsby at the end of last season and Chester looked very well organised and were hard to break down and hopefully that’s how we can be next season and climb up the league and have a good season.”
Chester fans with good memories might recall a fresh-faced Horwood arriving at the club 10 years ago as then-manager Keith Curle tried to halt an alarming slide down the League Two table.
Horwood signed on loan from Sheffield United along with Chris Robertson while Mark Roberts came in on similar deal from Crewe Alexandra, but the trio returned to their parent clubs after one game, a dismal 5-0 defeat at Carlisle United in February 2006.
Stephen Vaughan sacked Curle’s backroom team of John Gannon, Dave Bell and Clive Goodyear in the wake of that result and, knowing what was coming, Curle sent the youngsters back before he himself was sacked a fortnight later.
“The whole thing was just bizarre really,” said Horwood.
“I signed and I think I only trained once and I think on the Saturday the management team got the sack. The manager brought us in on the Monday to tell us and it was just very strange place for a young lad to be.
“Fair play to Keith Curle at the time, he was protecting me and said I shouldn’t be around it so he sent me back to Sheffield United, so although I was here, it didn’t really feel like I was here.”
