GREG Leigh has been tasked with filling the boots of Chris Hussey on the left of the Shakers defence after becoming the club's seventh signing of the summer.

David Flitcroft continued to tweak his Bury squad right up until they left for a week's training camp in Portugal, shipping out right-back Joe Riley to Shrewsbury Town for an undisclosed fee.

Meanwhile, Bradford City beat off competition from the Shakers to capture the signature of centre-back Nat Knight-Percival.

Left-back Leigh, who is a product of the Manchester City youth academy, penned a two-year contract with the Shakers after his contract with the Bantams expired.

The 21-year-old full-back, who is blessed with electric pace, is set to slot straight into the squad in place of Hussey, who joined Sheffield United at the start of the transfer window.

Flitcroft admits he did not want to lose Hussey, who provided a steady supply line with his crosses and set pieces, but was proud of the defender's development under his tutelage.

“Chris Hussey was brought in on a free and moved on for a decent sum,” he said. “With Chris he made it quite clear that he wanted to go and challenge himself at Sheffield United.

“A team with the biggest budget has been able to acquire his services and he is one of the first signings that Sheffield and Chris Wilder made. They were chasing him as soon as they got the job.

“When I look closely at someone like Chris Hussey's development, the guy that walked into the building to the one that left, it's absolutely poles apart.

“He wasn't getting in Burton's team, then they were playing him at left-wing and now he has become an established left-back in League One, now with one of the most fancied teams.”

Flitcroft was also satisfied with the business done in Danny Rose's sale to Mansfield Town.

The 22-year-old was sold to the Stags for an initial £40,000 fee, but with goal and promotion add-on clauses, the Bury boss believes the deal could prove beneficial to the club.

“I think we have done a deal that suits certainly our club,” Flitcroft said. “I think if he goes and becomes the striker that he could potentially become, then we will profit the other way with the sell-on clause we have done and the deal we have done.

“I think the Danny Rose one will take time. There was a small fee to bring him from Barnsley but the sell-on will be the indicator to how well that bit of business will have done.

“I couldn't guarantee Danny games this season and that's where the decision was made.

"He's not a young kid any more, he has got to go out and play games and really nail that position down.

“He was a player that I wanted to develop and he didn't get enough game time as potentially he should have got.

“I think because of the calibre of strikers and Lowey (Ryan Lowe) coming back after January, after being at Crewe, it limited his game time.”

Meanwhile, Bury supporters can put their questions to the club about the Rose and Hussey sales, as well as their seven summer signings, at a fans forum on Thursday, July 21 from 7pm at the Gigg Lane social club.