STEVE Rhodes pulled off a masterstroke when he signed paceman Alan Richardson at the back-end of his career.

Some Worcestershire supporters at the time questioned the wisdom of signing a player who had endured his fair share of injury problems and was at the veteran stage.

But the former Middlesex and Warwickshire paceman responded with 252 Championship wickets in four years and was voted one of Wisden’s cricketers of the year for 2013.

Now Rhodes has gone down a similar path in acquiring another seasoned but proven performer for the 2018 campaign in Steve Magoffin, who turns 38 in December, after a successful spell with Sussex.

Magoffin, who had a short spell at New Road nearly a decade ago, is a proven performer in County Championship Division One.

Director of cricket Rhodes said: “He has been with us before. We know his quality as a person as well as a fast bowler.

“Yes he is a bit older than some people might have wanted.

“But we saw with Alan the quality he brought to the squad and the club at the back-end of his career.

“If Mags is well looked after by our guys and he puts in the right effort, which I know he will, then we are hopeful we can get plenty of games of Championship cricket out of him next summer.

“If we can get Steve on the park, he gets good players out and that’s a real bonus for us.

“His experience will certainly help our young bowlers in succeeding at that level.”