CHESTER are ready to make a five-figure bid for Scarborough's 20-year-old winger Keith Gilroy.
Manager Mark Wright, who finally signed Morecambe midfielder Stewart Drummond last weekend, has been impressed by the pace of the former Middlesbrough player who missed some of the season with a broken foot.
Gilroy joined Scarborough on deadline day last year and made his debut at Yeovil. He is still under contract at Scarborough but Wright is confident he can sign him.
'He is quick, a good dribbler in the John Robertson mould and an exceptional crosser of the ball,' said the City boss.
'He is the kind of player who can unlock a defence and I want Stewart Drummond to get into the box to take advantage. Drummond is an attacking midfielder who has a presence. I think Morecambe stopped his game by getting him to sit in, but I want him bombing into the penalty area.'
Wright has refuted a newspaper report that he has withdrawn four of his players from the England National Game XI, which is taking part in the home international tournament in Scotland later this month.
Danny Collins, Scott Guyett, Paul Carden and Phil Bolland have pulled out because of injuries, but Ben Davies is in the Welsh squad.
'The fact is, Collins has a broken bone in his leg and will be out of action for some time, Carden may need surgery on his knee and Guyett is having a knee scan on Monday,' he said.
'Bolland played at Hereford with a ham-string injury and felt he needed a rest. He decided he didn't want to take part, so this has nothing to do with me. I played many times for my country and I would have been happy for them to have taken part had they been fit.'
Meanwhile, the Deva Stadium hosts a testimonial match on Sunday for City goal-keeper Wayne Brown, who has been sidelined since Christmas with a foot injury.
The match will bring many Blues favourites back to the club to play against the team which recently clinched promotion from the Conference.
Confirmations have been received from former Liverpool and England stars Ian Rush and John Barnes, ex-City managers Graham Barrow and Kevin Ratcliffe, Gary Bennett, Brian Croft, Ross Davidson, Bob Delgado, Nigel Edwards, Neil Fisher, David Flitcroft, Joe Hinnigan, Peter Jackson, Iain Jenkins, Grenville Millington, Roger Preece, Chris Priest, Cyrille Regis, Stuart Rimmer, Shaun Reid and Billy Stewart.
Club chairman Stephen Vaughan is also expected to make an appearance.
The match starts at 2pm and admission prices are £7 for adults and £3 for school-children and senior citizens. Car parking is free. Chester have arranged pre-season friendly matches at the Deva, starting with Walsall on Saturday, July 17, Cardiff City on Tuesday, July 20 and Queen of the South on Saturday, July 24.
They are also negotiating for a visit from a Premiership club. Chester players will parade the Conference championship trophy through the city next Friday, leaving the Deva Stadium at 6pm. Details of the route will be announced next week.
An end-of-season presentation evening at the Chester Moat House Hotel on Friday, May 21, will not now include a boxing tournament. Tickets are £50 and include a three-course meal and entertainment.
Details from Ian Knox on Chester 371376 (ext 3).
