KIDDERMINSTER Har-riers manager Mark Yates believes he has the makings of a competitive Conference squad after snapping up striker Dean Sturridge, keeper Scott Bevan and midfielder Jamie McClen.

The triple signing takes the Aggborough playing staff to 14 with four more players promised after Harriers return to pre-season training next week.

At 32, former Derby, Leicester and Wolves striker Sturridge has spent nearly all of his career in the top two tiers of English football.

Sturridge has been out of action since leaving Championship club QPR last Christmas, but his one-year deal represents an exciting coup for Harriers.

He started his career as a trainee with Derby in 1991 and - other than a brief loan spell with Torquay - remained at County for 10 years, scoring 59 goals in around 160 starts.

After a £350,000 move to Leicester in 2001 he scored seven goals in 26 starts before notching four in seven in a loan spell with Wolves.

A permanent move to Molineux for another £350,000 fee followed in December 2001and he went on to help Wolves to promotion to the Premiership, hitting 28 league goals in 44 starts.

He spent a short spell on loan at Championship side Sheffield United prior to leaving Wolves permanently in March last year for QPR.

Sturridge clocked up 11 appearances for QPR last season, but parted company with the Loftus Road outfit midway through the campaign.

Bevan's arrival ends Yates's search for an experienced goalkeeper after the manager's decision to release John Danby and Dan Lewis.

The 6ft 7in former Southampton and Milton Keynes Dons stopper will compete with ex-Telford youngster Steve Taylor for the Harriers number one jersey.

Bevan, 26, has shown great courage to bounce back from having a kidney removed following a serious injury sustained on loan at Tamworth last season.

The Hampshire-born keeper never made the first team at Southampton but has enjoyed loan spells at Woking, Wycombe and Huddersfield.

McClen is a Geordie midfielder who made 22 first team appearances for Newcastle United and captained the Magpies reserves during 10 years at St James's Park.

The 27-year-old spent a short spell with last season's League Two champions Carlisle but ended the season with Shrewsbury Town.

McGlen is the type of mobile, passing midfielder Harriers have been searching for throughout the summer.

Yates revealed that he came close to landing former Harriers favourite Dean Bennett from Wrexham before Chester hijacked the move with the offer of League football.