DEFENDER Dean Winnard became the latest Stanley player to sign a new deal with the club on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old put pen to paper on a two-year contract this week, following hot on the heels of midfield pair Josh Windass and Will Hatfield.
The former Blackburn trainee joined the Reds in 2009 and despite being out of the team at the start of last season, he formed a solid partnership with Tom Aldred after coming back into the side for centre-half Rob Atkinson in October.
“Any deal to stay in the Football League is a great deal,” said Winnard. “There are so many great players out there who can’t even get into the League so it’s an honour.
“It’s been a long road for me at the club with some ups and downs and some great experiences that you can only get at this club.”
Winnard became the fourth out-of-contract player to sign a new deal after James Gray led the way last week.
“It’s something Dean wanted to do, being a new dad, to get that extra bit of stability into his life,” manager James Beattie added.
“If he can kick on again this year he can be excellent. He’s already one of the most consistent players we’ve got and deserves his new deal.
“He couldn’t wait to sign, which was music to my ears. He said he wouldn’t want to sign anywhere else and we’re so pleased to keep him on board.”
Windass, 20, also earned a two-year deal while Hatfield, 22, has signed on for another 12 months.
Both made a key contribution after coming into the starting line-up towards the end of last season, helping the Reds maintain their League Two status amd finish as high as 15th.
