Darlington have pulled off a transfer coup by convincing Marc Bridge-Wilkinson to move to The Northern Echo Arena.

The 31-year-old has signed an 18-month contract with the Quakers and his arrival brings to an end Darlington’s protracted move for the midfielder.

Bridge-Wilkinson impressed at the Arena while on a three-month loan from Carlisle United, who he left on Monday, and was being tracked a clutch of clubs in the Football League.

The loan ended earlier this month and that triggered a scramble for his signature which has ended with Quakers winning to bolster a squad that aims to make a push for the play-offs in the second half of the season.

Bridge-Wilkinson said: “We have a realistic chance of reaching the play-off places this season, there’s no reason that we can’t.

“Money can buy a lot of things but if you’re going to achieve anything in football you need a group of players that are all in it together, with a real team spirit.

“We’ve got that here at Darlington and I’m looking forward to getting down to playing my football now and hopefully help the club back to where it should be, in the Football League.

“It’s nice to get my future sorted out for the next 18 months.

“It was nice to come and play some games here and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

“I want to achieve something.

This next move for me wasn’t about money, it was about playing games.

“First and foremost I want to play football but I also have a desire to win something and I’d love to do that with Darlington.”

Bridge-Wilkinson becomes the fourth player to sign a permanent deal at Darlington this month.

Adam Quinn, Greg Taylor, Aaron Brown and Liam Hatch have all secured long-term futures at a club which, Bridge- Wilkinson, acknowledges, now has some stability following two miserable years.

He said: “There was a combination of things which were wrong about the club. I know it’s been ripped apart in recent years but the chairman has brought some stability to the club and he has a real passion for football and a desire to get the club back into the Football League.

“It feels now that Darlington is a club on the up. Everything is set up for the club to succeed and I want to play a part in the start of that.

“Players are signing longterm deals and that’s an indication to the supporters that they’re building for the future and heading in the right direction.

“It shows the ambition of the club and chairman and it would be great to see the town getting behind the club.”

Having missed two games since the end of his loan, Bridge-Wilkinson will return to Quakers’ side away to Tamworth on Saturday.