Factfile: Lewis Alessandra

Lewis Alessandra has become the latest player with vast Football League experience to sign for the Mariners.

As he gets to know his new team-mates and begins training ahead of a hoped-for debut in the league season opener against Stalybridge Celtic, we take a closer look at the forward.

Lewis Alessandra was born on February 8th, 1989 in Heywood, a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester
He was in Rochdale’s school of excellence as an 11-year-old but progressed through the junior ranks at nearby Oldham Athletic
Alessandra made his first-team debut for the Latics as an 18-year-old in an October 2007 League One clash against Huddersfield Town, with his first start coming against Swansea City
His first senior hat-trick came for Oldham against then-League One leaders Scunthorpe United at the age of 19
More first-team experience was gained through a loan spell with Chester City, although it was cut short after the National League side was expelled from the league and had its record expunged
Alessandra’s time at Oldham ended in the summer of 2011 and he was quickly snapped up by Morecambe of League Two
The forward, who prefers to play centrally but has also been deployed in wide positions in spells of his career, demonstrated his versatility at Morecambe across two campaigns which saw him establish himself as a regular in the team
Plymouth Argyle came calling in 2013 and Alessandra hit double figures for goals in both of his seasons with the club, ending his two years with the club with 25 goals
He had short stints with Rochdale and York City (loan) in the 2015-16 season before finding his feet again at Hartlepool United, where he played in all 46 league fixtures in 2016-17
After Hartlepool dropped out of League Two, Alessandra remained in the Football League with Notts County, where he stayed for two years
He then returned to Morecambe on a short-term deal, spending six months with the club before joining Carlisle United in January 2020
Alessandra was a popular figure in two-and-a-half years with the Cumbrians, making 87 appearances in all competitions
A player of vast experience, he has more than 400 Football League appearances to his name and more than 500 career appearances overall
Alessandra has now joined South Shields as he bolsters Kevin Phillips’ squad ahead of the 2022-23 season