Chester have completed the signing of defender Simon Grand on a one-year deal from AFC Fylde.

The 34-year-old centre-back brings with him a wealth of Football League and non-league experience, having enjoyed a 17-year professional career which has included spells at Rochdale, Carlisle United, Northwich Victoria, Southport, Telford United and Barrow.

Grand will link-up with Chester joint-managers Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson for the second time, having made 43 appearances for the duo at Salford City in the 2016/17 season, scoring nine times.

Grand made 35 appearances last season for Fylde, scoring three times, as the Coasters reached the National League play-offs under Dave Challinor.

The defender played for Chester in their 1-0 friendly win at Ramsbottom United last week, with the Blues fighting off competition from rivals Wrexham for his signature.

“We’ve been speaking to Simon over the past five or six weeks,” Johnson said.

“He’s got a wealth of experience in both the Football League and non-league on his CV. He’s played for us before and he’s got a knack of scoring goals from centre-half.

“His leadership skills are what make him stand out from the crowd. He leads by example on and off the pitch and he’s going to be an important part of the dressing room here.

“We’ve made no secret that we wanted to get this deal done and he was our main defensive target when we came to the club. So, to get a deal done with our number one target, it’s a big one for us.

“We did our due diligence on Simon and he not only brings the physical attributes we look for, but he can play out from the back and is a quality footballer.

“He had offers from elsewhere and clubs further up looking at him, but he’s chosen to come to Chester and we’re really excited to work with him this season.”