Paul Hurst player sale still haunts Grimsby Town: View | OneFootball

Grimsby Town's 2023 sale of striker Danilo Orsi, who subsequently went on to fire Crawley Town to promotion, is one that still rankles.

Striker Danilo Orsi often impressed when given an all-too-rare chance in Paul Hurst's 2022/23 Grimsby Town side, and the Mariners' sale of the striker to Crawley Town after just one season at Blundell Park has proven to be a poor decision.

28-year-old Orsi began his career in non-league, playing for the Cockfosters, before moving to the United States in 2016 to play college football (soccer) for Eastern Florida State College, and the respective age group teams of Chivas and Fort Lauderdale Strikers, while simultaneously studying business.

Returning to England two years later, the striker played for the likes of East Thurrock United and Hungerford Town, before a strong season with National League South side Hampton & Richmond Borough impressed Maidenhead United boss Alan Devonshire enough for the former West Ham United man to sign him for the Magpies to ply his trade at the higher level of the fifth-tier.

The 2020/21 National League campaign was one that really put Orsi on the map, scoring with clinical regularity for a Maidenhead side who often upset some of the leagues bigger clubs.

Spending just one very productive year at York Road, one that saw him among the division's top goalscorer, the attacker, who has a solid all-round skill-set, would get a first move to the EFL, joining Simon Weaver's Harrogate Town ahead of their 2021/22 League Two campaign.

Things didn't really work out for Orsi in North Yorkshire, as the London-born striker found regular game-time hard to come by in the opening half of the season, before joining National League side Boreham Wood on loan for the remainder of a frustrating year for the forward.

Grimsby Town's promotion back to the Football League in 2022 saw boss Paul Hurst add the forward to his ranks to work alongside the likes of Ryan Taylor and John McAtee in the Mariners attack.

Initially struggling to displace either of the aforementioned duo, Orsi was reduced to sporadic appearances from the substitutes' bench, before eventually getting a chance to start as winter closed in.

The striker quickly showed a well-rounded game. Quick, strong, and tenacious, Orsi was capable of competing physically with defensive opponents, while his willingness to run the channel and close down opponents endeared him to supporters.

While he struggled to nail down a place consistently in Hurst's League Two side, the forward made some vital contributions in the Mariners' historic FA Cup run to the quarter-final stage, with his performances against Championship high-flyers Luton Town - where he scored the second in a 3-0 replay victory - and in the St Mary's win over Premier League Southampton in the following round particularly memorable.

However, while many Grimsby fans thought Orsi had plenty to offer, the striker was allowed to move on, joining Crawley Town for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2023.

Striker fired Crawley to promotion from League Two

On the back of a tough previous campaign that saw the Red Devils narrowly avoid relegation into non-league, Scott Lindsey's Crawley were among many people's favourites for the drop in 2022/23.

This proved to be far from the case, however, as some savvy recruitment, which initially looked questionable, but turned out to be inspired, saw Lindsey's side impress greatly, ultimately securing a fourth-tier play-off spot with a final day victory over the Mariners.

Orsi, who found the net in both clashes with his former club, joined the likes of Klaidi Lolos, Liam Kelly, Will Wright and Ronan Darcy in a swashbuckling Crawley team that played some wonderful, but equally effective football that would see them register a phenomenal 8-1 aggregate victory over much-fancied MK Dons in their two-legged semi-final in May to set up a Wembley final against Crewe Alexandra, with a place in League One at stake.

The former Grimsby and Harrogate man opened the scoring in a comfortable 2-0 victory for his side over the Railwaymen, though it would be the last of the plentiful goals he scored for the Red Devils in his short, but very successful time in West Sussex.

His performances and ruthlessness in front of goal saw Orsi's stock at an all-time high, and fellow League One outfit Burton Albion paid an undisclosed fee to take the attacker, who signed a three-year deal with the Brewers, to the Pirelli Stadium as Crawley cashed in on one of their prized assets.

Orsi and Rose would have made a great strike partnership at Grimsby

As Orsi departed Blundell Park, experienced striker Danny Rose arrived, joining on a two-year deal after helping Stevenage achieve automatic promotion to League One.

Rose has had a long, successful career in the fourth-tier. A consistent performer with an infectious workrate and a great leap given his comparative height, the striker has been a brilliant signing for a Mariners side that has relied heavily on his goals, leadership and know-how over the last year.

While Hurst, who brought Rose to the club, and his successor, David Artell, have opted to play with just one striker on many occasions over that time, there's a feeling that Rose and Orsi would have complimented each other well had they had the opportunity.

Both are energetic, hardworking forward players, and the thought of Orsi making runs off the clever link-up play of Rose is something that could have led to a prolific partnership.

The former Maidenhead player's ability to pull into wide areas to either make room for midfield runners or supply deliveries himself was also notable during his time at Blundell Park, and it's something that could have further seen Rose thrive further.

It's all hypothetical, and we'll never know how the pair would have got on had they both been with the Mariners in tandem, but Hurst's sale of Orsi to Crawley last year, and the success he's had in the meantime, will continue to haunt Grimsby for some time.