There was a time when Rochdale was only really known for not doing much of anything.
After being relegated from the old Division Three in 1974, Dale spent the next 36 years stuck in the fourth tier, never going up, never going down – to the point it became known in some quarters as ‘the Rochdale division’.
The class of 2026 have, however, forged a new identity, one built around heart-stopping drama and a never-say-die attitude, one embodied perfectly by Wembley hero Dieseruvwe.
The 31-year-old has represented more than a dozen clubs since coming through Sheffield Wednesday’s academy and signing his first pro deal at Hillsborough in 2013.
He’s played up, down and across the northern half of the country, from National League North to National League to League Two to League One and all the way back again – helping Salford and Grimsby secure EFL promotions of their own along the way – before returning to non-league football where things finally clicked for him at Hartlepool in 2023.
His 23 goals in 39 National League games for Pools were followed by another 16 last season and led to Rochdale offering him a two-year deal last summer.
Twenty-seven league goals (and eight assists to boot) in 42 appearances is some way to repay the club’s faith.
A 99th-minute winner at Braintree on 18 April kept Dale’s title hopes alive and seven days later, a 95th-minute goal looked to have won Rochdale automatic promotion against York, only for a pitch invasion and a subsequent City leveller eight minutes later to condemn Dale to the play-offs. But Dieseruvwe had the final say once again, powering home a header from Casey Pettit’s deep cross from the right via a deflection off James Clarke.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s surreal. I honestly don’t know what’s just happened,” said Dieseruvwe, clutching a cold beer in the mixed zone in the bowels of Wembley Stadium after the on-field celebrations were over.
“The last kick of the game… again. We managed to take it to extra time and win the penalties – it’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Dieseruvwe’s Dale career began with both goals in a 2-0 win at The Wood in August and he added two more in a 4-1 home win in the reverse fixture in February.
“It’s a mad game when you come here, it’s not like the league season, the pitch is humongous. There was so much action but until the final whistle you have to believe,” he said.
“We were still in the game, even at 2-0, as low as we might have felt, and once [Tyler Smith] gets that goal we believed and thankfully managed to get the equaliser and win on penalties.”