After initially joining the non-league team on loan, Blackpool defender Dan Sassi has decided to stay at Rochdale until the end of the season, the club has officially declared.
The youthful central defender joined Bloomfield Road during the winter transfer window from Burnley for an undisclosed sum. Despite not playing in the first team for the Championship winners the previous season, he was an unutilized substitute for the Clarets in their FA Cup victory over Fleetwood Town.
It was announced in the final week of February that the 20-year-old would join Rochdale on a one-month loan in order to get some experience in the men’s game. Since that time, Sassi has made six appearances for Dale while being coached by Jimmy McNulty, a former center-back.
It has now been revealed that Sassi, who is still gaining invaluable experience for Rochdale in an awful league, will play out the rest of the season on loan at the Crown Oil Arena in Greater Manchester.
Blackpool wished “Dan the best of luck for the remainder of the campaign” in a club statement that was made public on Tuesday morning. Rochdale is currently vying for a return to the English Football League and is seven points behind the final play-off spot with six games left.
In the meantime, Neil Critchley’s Blackpool are involved in a fierce race for the League One play-offs and this Friday they travel to Derby County, who are expected to automatically qualify for promotion. The Seasiders can still win their next games against Wycombe Wanderers, Cambridge United, Fleetwood Town, and Carlisle United despite being three points behind sixth place.
Even if Sassi had returned from his loan at Rochdale, he would not have been able to break into Blackpool’s first team. Right now, the Tangerines are playing with very high stakes, and Critchley would not have wanted to throw the inexperienced player into the deep end.
The defender has a bright future with the team and is well-liked at Bloomfield Road. But right now, he will benefit far more from studying his craft at Dale in a demanding division than from sitting on the bench or even from playing for the team’s reserves against Blackpool.
