Defender's Dale switch after leaving Morecambe

​The 29-year-old was one of seven players previously announced as having triggered one-year contract extensions at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.

Instead, he has agreed a one-year deal to become the fifth summer signing for Dale boss Jimmy McNulty.

Tutonda said McNulty played a key role in his decision, telling Rochdale’s website: “I had a few conversations with the gaffer over the off-season.

“He explained to me his plans and what he thought of me as a player.

“Since then, we kept in touch and I’m really pleased to get the deal over the line.

“It 100 per cent felt like the right fit for me.

“One thing you appreciate is the time we spent on the phone talking tactics and where he sees me playing in the team, and that’s one thing that really attracted me to the project.”

Tutonda joined Morecambe in August 2023 as the club embarked upon life back in League Two after relegation from the third tier.

He made 42 appearances in all competitions for the Shrimps that season, scoring in the victories against Doncaster Rovers and Barrow AFC.

The end of that season saw Tutonda named as one of four players who had not accepted terms offered during the campaign alongside Farrend Rawson, Donald Love and Joel Senior.

He then returned for a second spell last summer, playing another 47 times as the Shrimps’ season ended in their relegation from the EFL.