ROSSENDALE are hoping a player nicknamed 'George Best' will help them to win the NWCL Division One title.

Dale play their final game of the season at Flixton tomorrow knowing a win will put them in the driving seat for the title -- although both Clitheroe and Ramsbottom can still catch them with their games in hand.

But they are hoping new whizz kid Jody Banim will have made enough of an impression in the latter part of the season to take them into the UniBond League.

Banim, 22, joined the club just a couple of months ago from UniBond Premier side Hyde United -- and boss Jim McCluskie says he can't believe his luck.

"Jody adds about 50 onto the gate because of his sheer entertainment value," laughed McCluskie.

"His individual skill is breathtaking. He's a rarity in football and the crowd have christened him George Best.

"In fact, former England and Manchester City player David White comes down to work with us at Dark Lane sometimes and he says, for all the places he has been, he hasn't seen a player with such skill.

"Jody does things with the ball I've never seen before. He is a real match winner."

Banim started his career at Manchester United and spent six years there as a youngster.

"Unfortunately, I got an injury, I stood on a slate and cut my tendons in my foot. It was a stupid injury but it wasn't such a blow to leave because of the injury and I had good parents who kept my feet on the ground," admitted Jody.

The striker then played a couple of games for Rochdale youth side before going to Trafford.

"That was good as, in my one season there, we won the NWCL Division One. But I was only 18 and they had a prolific striker already there and I decided to move on."

Next stop was Flixton where he notched '30-odd' goals in the UniBond First Division.

"A few scouts were watching me so I ended up moving to Hyde in the Premier Division for two seasons.

"We finished second but, to be honest, I didn't really enjoy the atmosphere there."

So White, who he met at a five-a-side tournament, persuaded Jody to try out Rossendale.

"It was a bit of a drop and I guess at first I thought I would walk into the side but I found the lads here are all good players -- especially Sargey (Craig Sargeson) who is a great finisher -- and I knew I would have to bide my time."

He has, starting on the bench for many of his 13 games, but he has still chipped in with six goals as Dale have recorded four successive wins -- including an 8-0 thumping of Glossop -- to maintain their title push.

And he has certainly made an impression with the Dark Lane crowd hence the George Best comparisons.

"I don't know about that," he laughed. "It's just my game. I just get my head down and dribble and go for it. I have tried to stop doing that recently though to try to be a more complete player."

But manager McCluskie wants to keep Jody just as he is especially as the three-pronged attack of Jody, Craig Sargeson (37 goals) and recent signing Paul Heavey (12) worked so well on Tuesday when Dale recorded a vital 4-2 win over Kidsgrove which ended their opposition's title hopes.

The boss might stick to the same tactic to get rid of Jody's former club Flixton.

"Jim's said to us if we get to 92 points and someone pips us, we have got to hold our hands up and accept it," added Jody. "But we are so keen. I've never been a club where it's all new. I've always been at clubs that have been there and done it, so this is refreshing. It's a great place to be at the moment."