Why Chesterfield allowed Jesurun Uchegbulam to leave and join Rochdale

The winger, 22, departed for Spotland last week for a small fee after one year at the Spireites following his arrival from Matlock Town.

The speedy wideman was mainly used off the bench as an impact player.

In the end, as much as the Nigerian was highly thought of, the management team decided to go down the ‘proven’ route in signing fellow winger Michael Jacobs, to give them a better chance of getting out of the National League this season.

“It was a tough one with Jez, we are all big fans of him,” coach Danny Webb.

"I am sure he will go on to have a good career in the game and I hope he does. He is a lovely boy who worked his socks off for us.

"He made some really good contributions from the bench, especially that goal at Torquay, which was fantastic.

"I think there is a balance with clubs like Chesterfield, the here and now, and the planning for the future.

"Jez, I believe, will be a good player for the future for any football club.

"As managements, you maybe just think it is the here and now, with players like Michael Jacobs coming in, they are proven, it is here and now.

"I am not saying we don’t think about the youth and the future but it is that balance between planning, and going ‘actually let’s just get out of this league ASAP.’ That is not to say that lads like Jez won’t get you out of this league, not at all, but sometimes the thought could be to go a little bit more proven to keep getting those results.”

Uchegbulam made his first start for his new club against Woking in midweek and apparently impressed.

Webb continued: "Jez doesn’t want to be on the bench, he wants to play football, I think he has made a decent impact at Rochdale already.

“I wish him well but I think if you look at the strength of the players we have got in the building the future is bright in more than one sense of the word.”