ROCHDALE attacker Lewis Alessandra has joined York City on loan.

Alessandra, 27, has 43 goals in 281 Football League outings to his name but has seen his chances limited at Spotland following a summer move from Plymouth.

It is believed the Minstermen made an approach for Alessandra last summer but he opted to step up a division with Rochdale instead.

He has since played just 11 times for Keith Hill’s team, though, including only four starts in which he netted twice.

The Heywood-born forward’s last outing was as a 71st-minute substitute in a 1-0 home defeat to Millwall on February 13 and that game represented his first appearance in three months.

Alessandra, who can play out wide or as a central striker, netted 13 times, however, as Plymouth reached the Sky Bet League Two play-offs last term.

He also scored 12 the campaign before and racked up a century of appearances in his two years with the Pilrgims.

One highlight of his Devon career was a brace in the Capital One Cup at Championship outfit Birmingham in only his second appearance for the club.

The 5ft 9in forward started out at Oldham, where he was given a three-year deal after graduating through the Boundary Park youth ranks.

He made his first-team debut at the age of 18 for the Latics and hit a hat-trick when he was a year older during a 3-0 win over Scunthorpe.

Following a brief loan spell with Chester, he went on to sign for Morecambe in the summer of 2011, where he turned down a new deal at the end of his two-year contract.