YORK City manager Gary Mills made a double swoop in the loan market today - signing Wrexham defender Hamza Bencherif and Hull City striker Johan ter Horst.
Both players will be staying at Bootham Crescent until the end of the season and are likely to make debuts in Saturday's home game against Barrow.
Bencherif, 28, is linking-up with Mills for the second time in his career after joining Wrexham last summer from FC Halifax Town.
The 6ft 3in defender started his career at Nottingham Forest but failed to make a senior appearance and moved onto Lincoln City, Macclesfield Town, Notts County, and Plymouth Argyle.
He helped FC Halifax Town win the FA Trophy last season courtesy of victory over Grimsby Town at Wembley. 
Born in Paris, Bencherif has represented Algeria at youth international level. His transfer is currently subject to international clearance.
Ter Horst, 21, has spent the last three seasons at Premier League club Hull City but has yet to play for the first team.
His first team opportunities have been hampered by injuries and and he went on trial to Lincoln City last month.
Born in Kent, Ter Horst was previously one of the hottest properties in non-league football after scoring 26 goals to help Folkstone Invicta into the Ryman League Division One South play offs. 
Commenting on the latest changes in personnel, Mills said: "It has taken some time but I now feel I have got a team and a squad that I can work with and trust. I feel I can go and do my job as a manager now because I have trust in what I am going to get from my players. 
"I am not going to rule out more signings - because there might still be a player who becomes available who I feel is right for us," he added. "But we are going into a game against Barrow this weekend knowing that we have a side that is more than capable of winning. We are getting our belief back and I am happy with where we are going."
Bencherif, who played for Wrexham against North Ferriby last weekend, will fill the void created by the return of loanee Aarran Racine to Forest Green. 
"We needed a new centreback with presence after losing Aarran," said Mills. "Hamza is good in the air, comfortable with the ball at his feet, and he can play anywhere along a back three. 
"He knows me from Wrexham and he knows how I work.I feel his capture will keep us strong at the back."
Mills describes ter Horst a 'small, pacey, and fearless' and the striker is likely to be used as a foil for veteran targetman Jon Parkin.
"I felt we needed another striker and we needed someone who offered something a little bit different to what we have got," said Mills. "Johan is a lively striker who has scored goals regularly for Hull City's under-23 side. He works hard and can play off a big man in a front two or in a front three. He is a small, pacey striker who likes to get in behind defenders which is sometimes a rarity.
"The bonus for us is that he has played at non-league level," Mills added."He trained with us for the first time on Tuesday and he is bang in form."
Mills says the striker's previous injuries at Hull are nothing to worry about.
"He has broken his cheekbones and dislocated shoulders but that should be no surprise because he is a fearless player who is not afraid to mix it with big centrehalves," he said.