Player Profiles 2008-9: Nathan Stanton

It feels like Stanton has been at Spotland for years. Certainly, we'd tried to get him to Spotland for a few years before we actually did, but it was most definitely worth the wait and Stanton has since gone on to become an absolute rock at the back for Dale.

He came to the club having played most of his career at right back. He's come up through the ranks at Scunthorpe, and started getting a fair bit of attention due to his performances. However, he was let go by the Iron after making over 250 appearances for the Iron. He'd had a bad run with injuries in his final days at Glanford Park, and was perhaps a victim of their promotion to the Championship.

But despite a career at right back, he came to Spotland with the intention of playing at the centre of defence. His lack of inches perhaps had stopped him playing there in the past, as teams traditionally favour the towering central defender, but it proved to be absolutely the correct decision.

Almost from day one, he stood out. He marshalled the back superbly and it was no surprise that he was given the captaincy when Gary Jones was ruled out for the rest of the season. Not only that, his leadership has helped Rory McArdle come on career wise and become far better player than what he had been previously.

Stanton's strengths come in his pace and his reading of the game. Understandbly, he might not be at his best aerially but his reading of the game often gives him a head start over many a centre forward, and he's chased down many a lost cause in his time.

A lengthy injury kept him out the side for around six months in 2007, but he shook it off to become bigger and better. The only downside since his return was a pair of red cards, one of which came about after giving the referee at MK Dons the sort of treatment he usually reserves for Notts County supporters.

Probably best not to ask him if he's scored at Wembley tho.