SHARED values among familiar faces helped to persuade defensive sentinel Dave Winfield to sign for York City.

The 26-year-old self-confessed “no-nonsense” centre-back disclosed how the capture of several former team-mates during his vacation while he was pondering several offers proved a telling factor in opting to head north.

Winfield knows goalkeeper Jason Mooney, right-back Marvin McCoy and wideman Anthony Straker from his time at first club Aldershot and then Wycombe Wanderers from where he left to join Shrewsbury Town in League One last season.

Agreeing how familiar faces might help his settling in time at Bootham Crescent, Winfield also explained all three were of similar stock to himself.

“I know them all and they are good players about whom you can tell the club (York) have done their homework on. That’s a massive thing for me,” said the man who shared in a Conference title and Setanta Shield-winning double with Aldershot and captained Wycombe in a promotion success.

“I went away on holiday and I found out that York City have gone and signed three players with whom I’ve played and who I know have great characters and are good footballers who all share a great work ethic,” said the defender.

“With seeing that on my return that was a great motivation for me to come (to York).”

The importance of the sound make-up of a player was stressed by City boss Nigel Worthington, for whom Winfield was his sixth signing of the close season.

“Dave has got good experience and he has played in League One,” said the Minstermen chief. “That sort of experience can only be good for the group.

“We do our homework and that includes contacting people who we know at other clubs to find out what they (potential targets) are like.

“It’s important that we get good characters into the football club, to get the right sort of players on board with the right sort of professional attitude.”

Winfield, who has signed a two-year contract with City, added how he was looking forward to starting his career with the Minstermen, who return to pre-season on the last day of June. He will be hoping to avoid the fate that befell him almost a year ago.

Signing for Shrewsbury to extend his desire to play in League One he suffered an injury just days before the season started, which meant he was then “playing catch-up”.

He added: “I was out for ten weeks. Then around Christmas time the manager I signed for was sacked and so the move did not really work out for me.

“But I am truly excited about coming to York, where I have good playing memories. I remember scoring here in a win for Wycombe.”

He said he had also visited York several times and viewed it as “a stunning city” that he was looking forward to settling in with his wife Jenna and two young children, Freddie and Bella.

And he promised City fans that he would do all he could to succeed. “I never give up and that is so important for a defender.”