Crusaders manager Declan Caddell insists he’s “delighted” for star striker Fraser Bryden after he completed his move to Chesterfield for a reported fee of £120,000 – and believes the Irish League club will need to keep polishing “rough diamonds” in the current financial climate.

Bryden has signed a three-year contract with the League Two club and secured the Crues a healthy payday after just one season at Seaview.

The 22-year-old, who arrived from Ayr United having scored once in 17 league appearances during a loan move to Queen of the South, netted 23 goals in 36 Premiership matches on route to being named NIFWA Young Player of the Year.

Bryden’s form attracted transfer interest from a host of clubs in both England and the League of Ireland, but Chesterfield have now won the race with the Crues in line for further financial bonuses as part of the deal.

placeholder image — Crusaders’ Fraser Bryden (second left) celebrates with manager Declan Caddell (left) last season. (Photo by Pacemaker)

Losing his talisman less than two weeks before Crusaders’ opening league clash against Cliftonville is undoubtedly a major blow, but Caddell isn’t surprised teams came calling for Bryden this summer.

"I’m delighted for him and I knew it would happen when you have the breakout season he had last year,” said Caddell. “You could always see it coming.

"We had it with Kieran Offord the year before up to Christmas, he was pulled back (by parent club St Mirren) and sold to Linfield.

"Fraser won Young Player of the Year here as well, which was well deserved.

"You're always going to get that opportunity to go higher and he's got that opportunity, so I’m delighted for him.

"Obviously taking him from where he was, not playing a lot, not doing a lot, and it's kickstarted his career."

Caddell has played a key role in developing the likes of Kieran Offord, who secured a six-figure move to Linfield from St Mirren after spending the start of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Crusaders, and Musa Dibaga - the goalkeeper joined Dunfermline Athletic earlier in this window.

While the Premiership's full-time clubs are able to splash the cash in the transfer market to improve their squads, the Crues are taking a different path.

The North Belfast club have adopted a strategy of identifying young players capable of improving with further senior experience with a number of stars arriving from Scotland in recent years.

Caddell will be hoping new recruit Aaron Reid can replicate Bryden’s success this term and views the Irish League as a perfect platform.

"Yeah you are (proud of playing a part in the success of players) and as a club that's what I'm going to have to do for a while yet,” he added. “We don't have the finances to retain these players or buy whatever players we want.

"We've got to find those rough diamonds and polish them up into better things and push them on to bigger and better things.

"(We did it with) Kieran, Musa left last month, now you've got Fraser.

"If there's a pathway for young players who want to perform, who have that hunger to push on and develop themselves and go on to bigger and better things, there's no better opportunity than the Irish League for me.”