As the Vanarama National League transfer window enters its final 24 hours, league leaders Wrexham have swooped to sign Barrow forward Billy Waters.
The 28-year-old drops down a division in a bid to help the Hollywood-owned club to a long-awaited title triumph, with rivals Notts County three points adrift in second.
The move brings Waters' nine-month stay in Cumbria to an end, where he has netted nine times during the this season, and now looks to end it on a high at the Racecourse Ground.
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Success at Cheltenham and Halifax
Having started his career through the Crewe Alexandra academy at 18, Waters has filtered through seven other clubs since then before his latest switch to Wrexham.
A first-team call-up in 2013 saw the striker make a total of thirty appearances, however managing only three goals before his release a couple of years later, which preceded a one-year contract at Cheltenham Town, a move which proved successful for him.
After impressing in pre-season, Waters became a regular, helping the Robins to promotion from non-league with his eleven goals along the way.
Upon returning to the Football League, Cheltenham managed to narrowly avoid the drop, with the 28-year-old starting every game, but rejecting a further contract at the end of the season.
The next port of call was Northampton Town, though the highly-rated forward's inconsistency was clear, failing to hit the heights expected, and therefore loaned out on three occasions, which saw him tally six goals across them, more than he could achieve playing for the Cobblers.
The following campaign in 2020/21, Waters was restricted to 28 appearances for National League outfit Torquay United, scoring six times, but rapidly moving on after less than a year, ensuing a playoff final defeat to Hartlepool.
Remaining within the fifth tier, a move to Halifax beckoned, and it was probably the right decision, finishing last term with a 19-goal return from 47 games.
Spotting his talent, Barrow came calling with a two-year contract last Summer, which the Englishman didn't hesitate to accept, earning a move back to the Football League.
A wobbly start to the campaign saw Waters score only once in his first eleven matches, but when November came around, it all started to click, netting five times in six games, including a hat-trick against Colchester.
A divisional Player of the Month accolade rewarded him for his efforts, but he couldn't keep the good form up much longer, going on to score just two more times before to Wednesday's switch to Wales.
Waters will now aim to prove his worth and help the Red Dragons to clinch promotion, heading into the final eight games, beginning with a home clash against York City on Non-League Day this weekend.
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Waters' Words
After getting the deal done, new recruit Waters shared his initial thoughts with Wrexham AFC media, admitting, "I'm absolutely delighted, [the move] happened quite quickly, so it came as a bit of a surprise at first, but I'm delighted to get it over the line and finalized."
Reflecting on his season so far, the 28-year-old said, "It's been good, a bit up and down, but my goal to game ratio has been decent so I'm feeling good and feeling fit.
"I'm really excited - the gaffer has brought me in to be part of it and hopefully add quality to the team, and get promotion - that's the ultimate goal, and to be part of that is massive.
"[I can bring] energy and hopefully goals. I have had a good couple of seasons now scoring. I'll give everything for the team, and I like to think I'm an instinctive finisher."