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In Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Plymouth Argyle, there were many positives for manager Barry Brian-Murphy to take from the game.
One being that Dale attained their first clean sheet since the 5-0 win over Wigan over two months ago back in December 2020.
In what was a resolute defensive display, it was veteran central defender Paul McShane who displayed his leadership qualities that fans have been accustomed to over the years.
Although Dale fans can be impressed with their team’s overall performance against Plymouth, one player stood out and reminded everyone why a host of big clubs have shown an interest in him over recent months.
Enter, Kwadwo Baah.
The youngster is known for his raw pace and ability to beat defenders at will. Baah, who signed last year, looks to have a great career ahead of him and has made a positive impact at Rochdale in the time he’s been there.
By all means he is nowhere near the finished product, often seen that his decision making could improve as well as his final product, but at just 18 years old the young English winger looks a real hot prospect for the future.
During the January transfer window there was a host of interest from clubs such as Manchester City, Rangers and others. It was widely reported that City had managed to capture the youngsters signature, however manager Brian-Murphy recently confirmed that no such deal had been agreed.
Speaking after their 2-0 loss to Charlton earlier in the month, Dale’s boss had high praise for the winger claiming that Baah was ‘one of the most talented wide players to have ever put on the Rochdale shirt’.
With his current deal with Rochdale coming to an end this summer, many clubs including Manchester City are monitoring the situation and will be looking to tie him down permanently.
Baah, who has made 18 appearances this season scoring three goals, will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Dale players who have gone on to have illustrious careers at the very top of the English game
Over recent years Rochdale AFC has been somewhat of a breeding ground for attacking prowess, so is Kwadwo Baah the next in line?
During the late 2000’s the North West club was a hot bed for attacking talent, with the likes of Rickie Lambert, Grant Holt, Glenn Murray, and Adam Le Fondre all featuring for the Dale.
All of the players mentioned played for Rochdale early on in their career and used the club as a stepping stone in their pathway to the heights of the Premier League.
Rickie Lambert
During his spell at Rochdale, Lambert made 68 appearances in which he scored an impressive 28 goals. He was signed from local rivals Stockport County and during the 2005/06 season Lambert played every game scoring 22 goals along the way.
After impressing the Spotland faithful, he later joined Bristol City before making a dream move to Southampton. Leading the line he took the Saints from League One all the way to the Premier League, an incredible feat.
During the year that the Saints got promoted to the Premier League, Lambert scored a staggering 27 goals attaining the Golden Boot trophy along the way.
It didn’t stop there for Lambert as he continued his fantastic form on England’s highest stage. This included a goal away at the Champions Manchester City on the Saints return to the top-flight in the 2012/13 season.
The boyhood Liverpool fan eclipsed all of his dreams as he was signed by the Reds prior to the 2014-15 season, and while also making 11 appearances for the England national team, it was a special career for the former Rochdale player.
Grant Holt
Another player who was signed by former Dale boss Steve Parkin, Holt made the move to Rochdale in 2004 forming an effective partnership upfront with Rickie Lambert.
The striker had a successful career at Spotland notching 25 goals in 54 appearances, this before his impressive move to Norwich where he captained the club in the Premier League, scoring 45 goals in three seasons for the Canaries.
Glenn Murray
Murray was brought to Rochdale in 2006 initially on loan, however after impressing manager Parkin they made it permanent and he turned out to be a great signing for the Dale.
Scoring 25 goals in 54 appearances equalling to one every two matches seemed to catch the attention of the bigger clubs and in 2008 it was Brighton who came calling.
He really found his level playing in the Championship initially for Brighton and then for Crystal Palace. This was demonstrated when he broke the record for most goals scored in a single Championship campaign, as the striker netted a staggering 30 goals during the 2012/13 season as Palace achieved promotion to the Premier League.
Adam Le Fondre
Another prolific striker who had a stint at Rochdale was Adam Le Fondre, after making the same move as Rickie Lambert across from Stockport joining the club in 2007.
‘Alf’ as he was often referred to netted an impressive 38 goals in 103 appearances in all competitions for the Dale.
He did move on to pursue a career at a higher level and did in fact win the Championship with Reading in the 2011/12 season. The following campaign he hit the ground running on his Premier League debut netting against Stoke in a 1-1 draw.
So despite all these players eventually making it to the very top of the English game, it was Rochdale AFC that played a part, big or small, in all their careers.
The North West club has a knack for attracting attacking talent, and with Kwadwo Baah still at a young age showing promising signs, who knows where his career will take him after life at Rochdale.
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