A busy forward often seen working hard to link midfield and attack, 'Chilli' made a surprise return to the Abbey on deadline day in January 2007 after being released by Rushden & Diamonds. A former England Schoolboy international, local boy Dan is a product of United's Youth Development Scheme and broke into the first team to score his first League goal for the U's on Boxing Day 2002.

He made over 80 Football League appearances over four injury-hit seasons, scoring 13 times, but was released along with most of the squad when the club was relegated to the Conference at the end of the 2004/05 season.

He then spent 18 months with Rushden & Diamonds, experiencing another relegation to the Conference with them a season after ours, and also had a brief loan spell at Notts County last season, scoring twice in eight starts and five sub appearances, before Jimmy Quinn swooped to bring him back to the Abbey.

Chilli then signed a further one year contract in July 2007 but injured his ankle in one of the final pre-season games and has been sidelined since.