October 07, 2021 - 691 views
North Wales Crusaders have confirmed that Dave Eccleston will leave the club after signing a deal with Championship club Whitehaven ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Eccleston, who has made more than 30 appearances during his time with Crusaders since joining from Oldham in 2019, has constantly impressed with his work rate in both attack and defence.
As a house move to Cumbria has increased his commute to both training and matches significantly, the 25-year-old has taken up a contract with Haven closer to home.
He said: “I’m devastated that the time’s come when I need to leave the club, but it was taking me well over an hour just to get to training so it makes sense for me personally.
“It was a shame I missed a lot of my last season through injury, but I was pleased to get back in the squad and we did really well. Muzza’s done a great job and we’ve just got better and better each year.
“The fans here are unbelievable and, if we’re winning or losing, they’ll be there having a great time.
“The bond between the fans, players and staff is second to none and nothing like I’ve experienced anywhere else.
“We don’t have any egos in the squad, nobody thinks they’re too big for the club and we all work hard to get the job done.
“The move to Whitehaven is a chance for me to test myself at a higher level as I’ve never played in the Championship before. I want to take the opportunity and show what I can do personally at that level.
“Our squad at Crusaders is full of gems because of the job the coaching staff have done and there’s so much quality when you look through the squad.”
Crusaders head coach Anthony Murray added: “He’s a great lad and I’d like to wish him the best of luck. He’s a real team player, always rolls his sleeves up and has a really good work ethic.
“He always puts his hands up, makes those hard carries and can score you tries at crucial points. I hope he goes well for Whitehaven and I’m sure he’ll make his mark in the Championship.”
