| Right winger Ben Muirhead signed for Dale permanently in June 2007 after a successful loan spell earlier in the year at Spotland.
It was possibly the worst kept secret around that Muirhead was keen to return to Spotland, and we were keen to have him, but with rumoured interest from a number of other League Two sides, it was with relief when it was announced that Muirhead had joined on a full time basis.
He originally arrived at Spotland on loan in February 2007. After bringing in right wingers such as William Mocquet and Kelvin Etuhu, and then losing them all too easily, it would be very easy to be thinking that the replacement for them was very much a third choice player and just the best of what was left. How wrong we were.
Arguably, Muirhead, when he was brought in on loan from Bradford, was the most successful of the lot and seemed to gel with the rest of the squad since pretty much his first day at the club.
The former Man United trainee had been at Bradford for four years, but following an injury, could not get himself back into the side. Of course, the Bantams were continuing their slide towards League Two, but they felt that Muirhead was surplus to requirements and off he went to Rochdale.
His impact started from day one. A late winner against Notts County was followed up by a succession of fine performances. Quick and skilful, he also showed his willingness to graft for the side by tackling back.
There's very few players that we've took in on loan over the years who have come across like one of our own in the same way that Muirhead did. He just seemed like he was our player and the Bradford thing was just a minor detail on the paperwork.
He followed up his debut goal, with a brace in the 7-2 mauling of Stockport, and he formed a bizarre partnership with fellow winger Adam Rundle where they seemed to follow each other all over the pitch on occasions.
Indeed, the rave reviews continued whilst Bradford carried on with their descent through the League and eventually, caretaker manager David Weatherall recalled Muirhead in a last gasp bid to avoid the inevitable following a succession of injuries at Valley Parade.
However, it was probably the most pointless recall of all time, as Muirhead was allowed just twelve minutes on the pitch back at Bradford and that was after relegation had already been mathematically confirmed. And Weatherall wonders why he never got the job on a permanent basis.
He was released by Bradford City at the end of the 2006-7 season and all the rumours of a return to Spotland proved to be true when he put pen to paper on a permanent deal to the delight of the Dale faithful.
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