KEITH Curle proved his pulling power yesterday by making a hat-trick of signings - and all three new boys were quick to admit they had jumped at the chance to work with the Blues boss.
Weeks of round-the-clock negotiations finally started to take effect for Curle as Scott McNiven, Marcus Richardson and Carl Regan put pen to paper on one-year deals.
McNiven, who played under Curle at Mansfield last year before testicular cancer prematurely ended his season, led the tributes to the Blues boss.
The 26-year-old, whose brother David played a month-long spell for Chester in 2001, said: 'I'm very pleased to be working with the manger again - he's got big plans for this club.
'Even if a club in the division above had come in for me, I wouldn't have gone because I wanted to work with Keith again.
'I like the way he works and he likes to play football on the ground the way I like it.
'He also has very good man management skills. He treats players like adults.
'Keith wants to go out there and win things and that impressed me when I signed for him last year.
'I know the signings that the manager wants to make and they are very impressive. Hopefully I am the first of many good players that are going to bring the club success.
'I had a lot of problems last year but hopefully I can put all that behind me here.'
It was also a fresh start for Richardson. The 6' 3" striker was released by Lincoln City after a training ground altercation with a team-mate saw the 27-year-old fall out of favour with boss Keith Alexander.
He saw out the season on loan at Rochdale and Yeovil before Curle offered him the chance to join his new-look Blues.
Richardson said: 'This is a new beginning for Chester and a new beginning for myself after what happened.
'I made a stupid mistake at the time which I am sorry about, so hopefully I can move on from that and enjoy scoring goals for Chester.
'The boss was a big draw for me. We all know what he has done in the game and hopefully he can pass that experience on to me.
'He is very straightforward and tells you exactly how it is - if he tells me, Marcus you're playing rubbish, you know you can't argue with that.'
Curle completed his hat-trick of signings by handing a full-time deal to 25-year-old defender Regan, who joined the Blues from Droylsden on non-contract terms at the end of last season.
Regan said: 'It's a great club with a good manager and a good chairman, so I am delighted to have been given the chance here.'
Curle now has a first-team squad of 12 which he hopes to swell to 20 in time for the first day of training on June 30.
