YORK City have announced the signings of midfielders Akil Wright and Owen Gamble.

Wright joins with more than 100 National League appearances under his belt for Barrow and Wrexham, the latter being where he has spent the past three seasons.

Gamble, who was born in Worksop, signs after impressing Steve Watson on trial for the Minstermen in pre-season. The 21-year-old had been on the books at Sunderland before his release this summer.

Steve Watson was pleased to make the double swoop and quick to point out the versatility of his new recruit Gamble, saying: “He’s a player that plays the game a lot older than he actually is.

“He has a very good reading of the game and is quite versatile, we played him in pre-season games at right wing-back. He is very comfortable there and is a very comfortable holding midfielder which again gives us good depth and other options to the ones we have in midfield.

“Owen Gamble is someone who has been in with us since the start of pre-season, he's at a good age and recommended to me by Sunderland and been in and around their first team squad at different times last season and trained with them regularly.”

Wright, who has a reputation of being a tough tackler in the tier above, is described as a box-to-box midfielder by Watson, who has had his eye on the player for a while.

“Akil is someone we have been aware of for weeks, really since the start of pre-season, but another player who was highly sought after and somebody we had to be patient with,” said Watson.

“He adds a real physicality and athleticism to the midfield, he is somebody who can get box to box, he is aggressive and physically a really good size.

“He is someone who breaks into the box and can be a threat, he is aerially very good as well so another dimension in the midfield.

“When you look at the midfield, it was probably the area which took us the longest to get together but we have always had a plan on who we wanted – Akil and Michael Woods were the players we wanted to add alongside the ones we already had to play in midfield.”

Akil Wright is awaiting international clearance and is expected to be available for the next pre-season game.

Both deals are subject to FA and National League approval.