Marples spent seven years at Doncaster (Getty Images)

Alfreton Town have made their seventh close-season signing by snapping up former Chester City and Doncaster Rovers right-back Simon Marples.

Marples, 32, has signed a one-year deal and Reds boss Nicky Law was thrilled. "It is a major coup," he said. "We have fought off some stiff competition.

"We have been after him for a couple of months and are delighted to have pulled it off.

"It really shows the calibre of player we have been looking at."

Marples joined Doncaster in 1999 where he played a part in their back-to-back promotions from Conference to League One.

He played 180 games for the South Yorkshire club but was released in June 2006 and joined Chester.

And after making 50 appearances in all competitions for City, he took the decision to go part time just before the end of the 2007/08 campaign.

Law added: "He is knowledgeable and hugely experienced with over 200 league and cup appearances behind him, but he has also still got a lot left in him.

"The most positive thing is that he doesn't want to come in and just amble along. He is very ambitious and still wants to win things and he was asking about the club's ambitions more than the other way around."