Terry Brown moved swiftly to beat the transfer deadline and make his first signing for Aldershot.
In fact, it was a joint effort by the new manager and assistant Stuart Cash that secured the services of Wycombe Wanderers' long-serving midfielder, Dave Carroll.
"We've both been chasing him," said Brown. "Stuart played alongside him at Wycombe and I've been after him for two and and half years. Cashy persuaded him to join Aldershot rather than Hayes."
Carroll comes on a free transfer after serving 14 distinguished seasons at Wycombe, sharing in their metoric rise from the Conference to their present mid-table place in the Nationwide League Division Two. He has also picked up an FA Trophy winners' medal.
The versatile Carroll can play any posion in midfield and, at 36, still has plenty to offer. No wonder then that Brown puts him straight in the side for the Heybridge match on Saturday.