THEY SAY good things come to those who wait and Grimsby Town boss Paul Hurst would no doubt agree after welcoming back fans' favourite Alan Connell.
The Mariners have been tipped to go all the way this season in the Vanarama Conference and their cause has received a major boost with Connell signing last Friday.
He scored 29 goals during the 2010-11 season at Blundell Park before a move back into the Football League with Swindon Town.
Two seasons at Bradford City followed before the former Tottenham trainee ended last year at Northampton Town in League Two.
Hurst has been on the lookout for a genuine goalscorer throughout the summer and signed ex-Wycombe forward Jon-Paul Pittman to compliment Lenell John-Lewis and Ross Hannah.
But the addition of a proven Conference striker is bound to give the whole club a boost and Connell, who has initially signed on a short-term deal, told The NLP: “It's nice to go somewhere that I enjoyed playing my football – I'm excited to be back.
“Personally I had a fantastic season and a lot of people at Grimsby believed in me which has played a part in me coming back.
“I had an opportunity to come back in January but it didn't happen. I've never ruled anything out and I'm pleased to be able to work with Paul again as I've got a lot of respect for him.”
Connell, who has started both of Grimsby's goalless draws so far this season, added: “It's a fresh start and I've got to prove myself all over again. I've been training at Bournemouth during the summer so I feel fit and strong but we'll see how it goes.”
