Hill puts faith in Russell

Reporter: Jan Harwood
Date online: 11/07/2008

Rochdale manager Keith Hill has put his faith in goalkeeper Sam Russell by handing him the number one shirt for the coming season.

Russell has swapped squad numbers with Dale's other keeper James Spencer, in what sure to be interpreted as a change in the pecking order in the club's goalkeeping stakes.

The two keepers are yet to compete directly against each other for a place in the starting XI. Russell took over from Spencer when he was injured in December, only for Spencer to reclaim his place when Russell broke his finger in February. When Spencer suffered a groin injury a couple of weeks later, Tommy Lee was brought in on loan and he was between the posts as Dale marched to the League Two play-off final.