Chester land experienced former Portsmouth, Coventry City and Tranmere Rovers defender

Tom Davies has signed a loan deal with the Blues until the end of this season

Tom Davies has signed for Chester on loan (CHESTER FC)

Chester have moved to sign experience central defender Tom Davies on loan from National League South club Salisbury City until the end of the season.

Davies, 33, arrives at the Deva Stadium boasting a wealth of experience having had a career that has taken in stops at Accrington Stanley, Portsmouth, Coventry City, Bristol Rovers and Tranmere Rovers, with the Warrington-born defender having featured 135 times for the Prenton Park outfit in the EFL over four years.

He left the Whites last summer and moved down South to Salisbury, but keen for a move back to the North West, Davies will now link up with Calum McIntyre’s side for the remainder of the National League North campaign.

McIntyre had been on the lookout for additional central defensive options, with Festus Arthur having left for King’s Lynn last month and Tom Leak struggling for form of late.

Chester had looked to try and bring back former loanee Hayden Carson from Wolverhampton Wanderers but were given a rebuttal by the Molineux side, while another loanee, Phil Croker, is approaching the end of his 28-day stay from Crewe Alexandra, something that the club had been seeking to extend.

The need for defensive reinforcements was exacerbated by the announcement on Friday that veteran defender Kevin Roberts, who has filled in at centre back on occasion, would be retiring following the March 7 clash with Darlington in order to take up a physiotherapist role at an EFL side.

Davies brings physicality, experience and leadership to a Chester defence that has been lacking in that department and is expected to go straight into the squad for tomorrow’s home encounter with Buxton at the Deva (3pm).

A League Two promotion winner with both Pompey and Coventry, Davies has amassed more than 350 games across a 13 year career.