Blaine Hudson, one of six players released by Chester FC at the end of campaign, has found himself a new club.
The defender, who spent a season with the Blues after joining from bitter-rivals Wrexham, has signed a professional contract with Welsh Premier League champions The New Saints.
Hudson told the Saints' official website: "I've been living in the area and followed TNS' results for a fair bit, and I have a few mutual friends of Craig (Harrison, manager), and as soon I knew he was interested, I told him myself I was interested in coming over and playing for him.
"I'm excited. I want to get settled somewhere now. I had two years at Wrexham, where I thought I was going to be settled, but it wasn't to be. Then Chester, I don't want to go into that too much, but it wasn't handled properly, and it wasn't to be either.
"So I'd like to make this one a mainstay."
Hudson made 35 appearances for Chester in 2016-17, scoring two goals.
But he was allowed to leave along with fellow first-teamers Johnny Hunt, Elliott Durrell, Kane Richards and Ross Killock as well as youngster Kieran Evans.
Hudson, 25, is the first of those six players to fix himself up with a new club.
Former Airbus UK Broughton boss Harrison, who has led the Saints to six successive titles and Champions League qualifications, said: "Blaine has been playing locally for quite a while and he's got a lot of Conference experience.
"He played over 70 games for Wrexham and I spoke to a lot of people at Chester last year and he was one of their best players.
"Chester had a very good record defensively, possibly up to the last six-eight weeks of the season, and certainly up to Christmas, and Blaine was a big part of that.
"It's a really good signing. He's a really solid professional and he brings experience, even though he's only 25, great competition, leadership, as well as height in both boxes."
In our 2016-17 survey, Hunt, the club's Players' Player of the Year, was the most surprising departure for Blues fans with a vote of 55%.
Durrell, who has been selected for Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy’s V9 Academy, was second with 40%.
Hudson was joint third with Richards with 2%.
The full results from the survey are in this week's Chronicle.
