RADCLIFFE have signed the highly-experienced Nicky Adams and Luke Joyce, writes Kieran Wilson.

Winger Adams has joined from Oldham Athletic after turning down a deal to remain at the Latics while former Accrington Stanley midfielder Luke Joyce joins Boro from National League side AFC Fylde.

Boss Bobby Grant, former teammate of both players, is delighted to get two high calibre signings through the door ahead of the new season.

“They’re two massive signings with bags of experience, quality and leadership,” said Grant. “The types of players that we’re looking for and bringing into the building are winners, and for us this season that’s the bar, they’re the type of personal we want, we’re delighted to get them in.”

Adams brings with him a wealth of experience to the club, having featured in over 550 EFL games across a 17-year career.

The 35-year-old ventures out into non-league for the first time in his career, having spent time in the Championship, League One and most notably, League Two. He has the 12th most appearances out of anyone in England’s fourth tier, featuring a total 374 times with five different clubs. Adams needs no introduction to football in Greater Manchester, having featured for Rochdale, Bury and most recently, Oldham Athletic. Despite being from Bolton, he put his name up in lights at rivals Bury, where he made a combined 182 appearances across three different spells with the Shakers.

The ex-Wales U21 international joins the club upon the expiry of his contract at Oldham Athletic, having featured 67 times for the Latics and leaves on the back of a disappointing season at Boundary Park, as John Sheridan’s men suffered relegation to the National League for the first time ever in the last campaign.

Similarly to Joyce who joined earlier this week, he too is a former teammate of manager, Bobby Grant. The two paired up at both Rochdale and Oldham Athletic, and will now be reunited at the Neuven Stadium next season.

Joyce and Adams are also former teammates, brushing shoulders at Carlisle United between 2016-2018 in League Two.

Adams said: “The club is really trying to make it as professional as possible and you can see where they want to take things, that was a big thing for me, I want to be part of something that wants to go forward and really take off, it was an easy decision to come here.”

Joyce, 34, has made more than 400 EFL appearances for three different clubs - the majority of them at Accrington Stanley where he played alongside Grant.

And he said joining up with his former teammate was a key reason he opted to join Boro.

“Bobby was definitely one of the main reasons why I’ve come here because I’ve had a relationship with him for years,” said Joyce who also played for Barrow, Port Vale and Carlisle United. “We played together a long time ago at Accrington Stanley so we have a good understanding of each other.”