James Ball: AFC Wimbledon sign Rochdale midfielder on free transfer
League Two side AFC Wimbledon have signed Rochdale midfielder James Ball.
The 27-year-old, who was still under contract at Dale, has moved on a free transfer after the club’s relegation from the EFL at the end of last season.
He scored seven goals in 47 appearances for Dale during an 18-month stay at the club, after joining from Solihull Moors in January 2022.
Ball is the 10th new player to move to Johnnie Jackson’s Wimbledon since the end of last season.
“Myself and the manager had a couple of calls and he expressed what he wants to see from the team. Everything he said fitted with my game and what I want to do this season,” Ball told the club website.
“Moving forwards in terms of position has been a natural progression. I’ve became a goalscoring midfielder over time and that’s what I pride myself on. I’m big, I’m physical and I like getting in the box.”
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James Ball is officially a Don, with the powerful central midfielder having put pen to paper on a two-year contract following his move on a free transfer from Rochdale.
Initially starting his career as a defender with his hometown club, Bolton Wanderers, James has since transitioned into becoming an all-action box-to-box player.
The 27-year-old swapped the Trotters for Stockport County in 2016, gradually becoming a key player at Edgeley Park as the Northern outfit twice missed out on promotion to the National League.
His performances didn’t go unnoticed by Football League sides, with Stevenage parting with an undisclosed fee to take him to Lamex Stadium. However a lack of opportunities saw James make another move further south, as he linked up with Ebbsfleet United.
After starting brightly with the Fleet, Solihull Moors came in for his services, seeing him complete a permanent move to Damson Park. He showcased his best career form to date in the Midlands, hitting 11 goals in the 2020/21 season to finish up as joint top scorer.
Finally he ended up moving back north to Rochdale, with whom he would take in just south of 50 games before his departure this summer
Our new midfielder is now seeking to make a lasting impression at the Cherry Red Records Stadium with Wimbledon after becoming part of our new-look squad.
“Once I found out about the interest from Wimbledon I was really keen to get it done,” explained James. “It’s a club with a lot of history and when I played here last year, the fans were brilliant. Myself and Craig Cope have a good relationship dating back to when we were at Solihull Moors. It felt like a good fit to come down here and continue that.
“Myself and the manager had a couple of calls and he expressed what he wants to see from the team. Everything he said fitted with my game and what I want to do this season.
“Moving forwards in terms of position has been a natural progression. I’ve become a goalscoring midfielder over time and that’s what I pride myself on. I’m big, I’m physical and I like getting in the box.
“Historically the Club has had some success and we want to make that happen again. I’ve been keeping track of the lads and how the squad has been shaping up – it’s a very good group.”
