Dinning leaves Chester for Grays

Tony Dinning made his Grays debut in Tuesday's home defeat by Cambridge

Midfielder Tony Dinning has completed his loan move to Grays Athletic from League Two strugglers Chester City.

The much-travelled 33-year-old signed on loan for Grays originally on deadline day, only to be called back by Chester boss Mark Wright as cover.

But Dinnings has now been allowed to make his Grays debut in the 1-0 home defeat by Cambridge on Tuesday night.

City hope to have first choice midfield man Damien Mozika back for Saturday's home date with Dagenham & Redbridge.

The French midfielder has been sidelined for a month, reportedly with a hamstring injury. And struggling City have picked up just one point out of a possible 21, Saturday's 0-0 draw against Exeter City without him.

Also back in the City team will be skipper Paul Linwood, who was serving a one-game ban on Saturday after picking up five bookings.

But Mark Wright's badly weakened Chester will have to soldier on without Dinning, who finally appears to have brought to an end his ill-starred stay at the Deva Stadium.

The Newcastle-born former Stockport County, Wolves and Wigan Athletic midfielder was signed by Bobby Williamson for Chester in October 2007 - and was initially a success.

TONY DINNING career record

Clubs: Newcastle, Stockport, Wolves, Wigan, Stoke (loan), Walsall (loan), Blackpool (loan), Ipswich (loan), Bristol City, Port Vale, Stockport, Chester, Grays

454 (69) games, 61 goals

But, after climbing to second in League Two, things went sour at the Deva on and off the pitch. And Dinning had fallen out of favour, getting involved in a pay dispute with the club, long before Wright returned to the club in November 2008.

In the end, Dinning played 26 games for Chester, but only four of those appearances have come this season.

City appeared to have finally offloaded him on 31 January, only for him to be recalled for two games of bench duty.

But he now has the chance to put an unhappy 16 months at Chester behind him as he enters non-league football for the first time.

Dinning started at home-town club Newcastle United before moving in 1994 to Stockport where he caught the eye of Wolves boss Colin Lee, who paid �700,000 for him in September 2000.

He moved on for more big money a year later when Paul Jewell took him to Wigan Athletic for �750,000.

After loan spells with Stoke City, Walsall, Blackpool, Ipswich Town and Bristol City while on Wigan's books, he went back to Ashton Gate on a free transfer in December 2004.

He then moved onto Port Vale, initially on loan, in March 2005 before rejoining Stockport in May 2006, prior to his move to Chester.