Ryan Lowe: Crewe Alexandra sign Bury striker for a third time

Bury crowd favourite Ryan Lowe has scored 70 of his 202 career goals in a Shakers shirt

Relegated League One side Crewe Alexandra have signed veteran Bury striker Ryan Lowe for a third time.

Lowe, who turns 38 in September, was first at Gresty Road from 2006 to 2008.

He then returned on loan last November while briefly out of favour at Bury, but won back his first-team place during the latter half of the season.

Bury offered him a new deal, but the offer of regular first-team football with the Alex convinced him to return to the club.

Lowe's signing is the first of the summer for the Alex, as they bid to bounce straight back from League Two, boss Steve Davis having already let 11 players go.

Lowe's prolific career in the lower leagues

After starting at non-league Burscough, boyhood Liverpool fan Ryan Lowe did not make his Football League debut until he was almost 22.

He made his name with Shrewsbury Town as a winger before the first of two spells with Chester City, during which he went out on loan to Stockport, followed by moves to Crewe, Bury, Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons, Tranmere Rovers and then back to Bury.

Lowe scored 17 goals in 74 games after first joining Crewe a decade ago. He then scored two more in six appearances - which included two of Crewe's six wins this season - when he returned on a six-week loan in November.

Crewe were keen to sign him on a permanent basis in January, but Bury wanted to keep him at Gigg Lane. And he was used a lot more by the Shakers after Christmas, adding six more goals to a career tally that has now reached 202 from 496 starts, plus 163 appearances as a substitute.

Davis facing loss of top scorer Inman

Crewe boss Steve Davis hopes to keep joint top scorer Brad Inman next season, but admits that there is a strong chance that the Australian midfielder could go elsewhere.

"He has been linked with a number of clubs," said Davis. "If there is any substance in that, only Brad and his agent know.

"But if there are bigger clubs interested, it's going to be difficult for us to convince him to stay, Going down to League Two has not helped our cause.

"We want to keep him. All we can do is talk to him and his agent to see if there's a chance, but there's bound to be interest.

"He has talent, pace and can take a goal. He has had a good season and rediscovered the form that made us want to sign him from Newcastle United in the first place."

Inman, who represented Scotland at Under-21 level, has since been granted permission to represent the country of his birth and is now in line to make his debut for Australia against England at the Stadium of Light on Friday.