SEAN McConville says the lure of working with Dietmar Hamann was the reason he yesterday opted to leave Accrington Stanley and join Stockport.

Andy Procter, Luke Joyce and Dean Winnard have now signed two-year deals to remain at the Crown Ground, while Ian Dunbavin and Alan Burton have penned deals until next summer.

The Reds also hope to sign ‘two or three’ new players next week, but McConville has decided to quit the club.

The out-of-contract forward had been close to agreeing a new deal with Stanley but was offered a significant increase on his salary to join the Hatters, recently relegated to the Blue Square Premier but under new ownership.

Stockport appointed ex-Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann as boss earlier this week and McConville – to the disappointment of uncle Jimmy Bell, Stanley’s assistant boss – decided he wanted to work with the German.

“He spoke to me on the phone on numerous occasions and for a man like Didi to be so interested in me was a massive lure,” said the 22-year-old. “It was a big decision to leave Accrington because they’ve been good to me and offered me a good deal.

“People say you’re dropping down a league but it’s not about the money, it’s about the stature of Didi Hamann and the contacts all around the world he’s got.

“I know if I come here and have a very good season under him, like I did last year, I think the world’s my oyster and I can go and sign for anyone.”

McConville, though, paid tribute to John Coleman and Bell, and believes all six players to have departed this summer – Jimmy Ryan, Terry Gornell, Phil Edwards, Alex Cisak and Joe Jacobson have also left – owe them a great debt.

“I can’t praise John and Jimmy highly enough for the job they do under the restraints they’ve got on the wages,” he said. “They don’t pay the lads a great deal but last year we overachieved massively and a lot of the lads have cashed in on that now and got moves. We can only thank John and Jimmy for what they’ve done for us.”

Stanley are due a fee because McConville is under 24 and if a price cannot be agreed it will go to tribunal.

* The Reds will play Bury, Carlisle, Crewe, Port Vale, Shrewsbury, Tranmere or Walsall in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first round.