Stockport County sign ex-Leeds midfielder Bate

Lewis Bate made 22 appearances for MK Dons during a loan spell with the club last season

Stockport County have signed midfielder Lewis Bate following his release by Championship side Leeds United.

The 21-year-old joins the Hatters on a three-year deal having spent three years with Leeds after signing from Chelsea.

He made just five senior appearances for Leeds and spent 2022-23 on loan at Oxford United and the latter half of last season on loan in League Two with MK Dons.

“Lewis is a player that we attempted to sign in January but it wasn’t to be," boss Dave Challinor said.

"From that point, we’ve kept an eye on his situation and when we knew he was being released by Leeds, we immediately renewed our interest.

"We’ve had to be really patient as there was interest in Lewis from higher up, but thankfully our patience has been rewarded."

Bate made 22 appearances for MK Dons last season, helping them reach the League Two play-offs where they were defeated by Crawley Town.