WHEN Manchester City ace Terry Dunfield took the brave decision to drop three divisions and sign for Bury, one man was not in the least surprised.

Shakers' star striker Jon Newby took a similar plunge less than two years ago when, after making only four appearances for his native Liverpool, he left Anfield for Gigg Lane.

After topping the club's goalscoring charts ever since, the crowd favourite has few regrets and reckons Dunfield, who enjoyed a successful loan spell with Bury earlier this season, will not look back either.

"It wasn't really a surprise because we had been working with him for two or three months and we all knew how much he had enjoyed it here," said Newby.

"He's come from a Premiership team, where he hasn't been getting a game in the first team. He wanted a bit more and that was exactly how I felt at Liverpool.

"It was a very frustrating time for me because I had only played a few times for the first team and I was in my fourth season there. All I was doing was going into training and playing in meaningless matches. That really gets you down.

"As soon as I had the chance to join Bury I went straight to Gerard Houllier and asked to leave. By the time I arrived at Gigg Lane, I had already forgotten about Liverpool because I wanted to get out so much. So I understand why Terry had to leave Man City."

Dunfield's two-and-a-half-year contract could hardly have been signed at a better time, with Bury sat ominously on the shoulders of the league's top three and Newby in need of fresh impetus to kick start his goalscoring form.

After making a prolific start to the campaign, the goals have dried up for the hot shot, who has failed to net a league goal since the 2-2 draw at Wrexham in September.

And Newby admits the arrival of the Canadian playmaker on a more permanent basis has given the team a massive lift.

"It's very encouraging for the club that we can attract a player like Terry to Bury, especially when there were one or two other clubs looking at him," he says.

"He did really well during his loan spell and he's good for the team. He puts his foot on the ball and gets us ticking.

"He's got great vision and that helps me. If I make the runs that I know I can, if anyone's going to spot me it's Terry. He's just got a lot of ability."

Despite his recent goal drought, there have been increasingly exciting signs that Newby's season is set to take off again.

For a start, it is only fair to point out that when he isn't scoring, Jon Newby is one of the Shakers' most productive goal makers and has been torturing defences all season by utilising his devastating pace to good effect down the channels.

And, with nine goals to his tally for the campaign, he is having his best season yet and could finally become Andy Preece's much-sought 20-goal striker.

"I had a good start and scored five goals from my first seven games but every striker goes through a sticky patch and so do I," he reflects.

"I have spoken to the gaffer and told him I will never be prolific because a lot of my work comes out wide.

"My target for this season was 15 goals and I'm well on my way to that. I had a spell, particularly against Macclesfield and Lincoln, where I wasn't playing well but I think I'm doing all right now.

"I've got to a stage in my career where I don't let things like how long it's been since my last goal bother me. With experience comes the knowledge that I will start scoring again soon."