The Cobblers have moved quickly to provide cover for Chris Doig’s injury by signing experienced defender Guy Branston on a months’ loan from local rivals Peterborough United. Branston, 28, will be allocated squad number five.
Branston began his career as a trainee at Leicester City but didn’t feature in a first team game until moving to Colchester United on loan in 1998. Making 21 starts for the U’s, Branston then had further loan spells at Plymouth, Rushden, Lincoln and Rotherham before signing permanently for the Millers in a £50,000 deal in November 1999.
The defender went on to make over a hundred appearances for Rotherham but left to join Wycombe Wanderers in 2003. The first of three stints at Peterborough began a couple of months later though and he eventually signed for Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2004. Branston made just a handful of appearances in his time at Hillsborough and rejoined Peterborough for another loan spell. He would finally signed permanently for The Posh after some time at Oldham but was sent out on loan at the start of this season to League Two Rochdale, playing five times.
Branston, who played against the Cobblers reserves for Posh on Tuesday afternoon, said, “I’m really amazed at how quickly everything has happened. I enjoyed my first training session with the lads on Thursday morning, we worked on team shape and if selected then I’m really looking forward to playing with them on Saturday up at Crewe.”
Cobblers boss Stuart Gray was happy with the deal that brings Branston to Sixfields on a month long loan initially but could lead to an extension at the end of the month.
“While we have some very talented centre backs on our books, they don’t have a great deal of experience between them so the knowledge and experience Guy will bring to us will be of benefit to the team and the other players,” Gray said.
“He impressed me in the reserve team game the other day, and he is a leader with a very good attitude. He has played a lot of games in the football league and he is a big and powerful defender. I am sure he will prove a good addition to the squad.”
Though Branston was signed after Saturday’s cup tie with Darlington and will miss the replay on Tuesday night, he is eligible to play in Round Two should the Cobblers make it through. Hopefully his experience will help out the younger defenders at the club and at the very least we have a bit of cover following the bad news on Chris Doig this morning!
Branston began his career as a trainee at Leicester City but didn’t feature in a first team game until moving to Colchester United on loan in 1998. Making 21 starts for the U’s, Branston then had further loan spells at Plymouth, Rushden, Lincoln and Rotherham before signing permanently for the Millers in a £50,000 deal in November 1999.
The defender went on to make over a hundred appearances for Rotherham but left to join Wycombe Wanderers in 2003. The first of three stints at Peterborough began a couple of months later though and he eventually signed for Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2004. Branston made just a handful of appearances in his time at Hillsborough and rejoined Peterborough for another loan spell. He would finally signed permanently for The Posh after some time at Oldham but was sent out on loan at the start of this season to League Two Rochdale, playing five times.
Branston, who played against the Cobblers reserves for Posh on Tuesday afternoon, said, “I’m really amazed at how quickly everything has happened. I enjoyed my first training session with the lads on Thursday morning, we worked on team shape and if selected then I’m really looking forward to playing with them on Saturday up at Crewe.”
Cobblers boss Stuart Gray was happy with the deal that brings Branston to Sixfields on a month long loan initially but could lead to an extension at the end of the month.
“While we have some very talented centre backs on our books, they don’t have a great deal of experience between them so the knowledge and experience Guy will bring to us will be of benefit to the team and the other players,” Gray said.
“He impressed me in the reserve team game the other day, and he is a leader with a very good attitude. He has played a lot of games in the football league and he is a big and powerful defender. I am sure he will prove a good addition to the squad.”
Though Branston was signed after Saturday’s cup tie with Darlington and will miss the replay on Tuesday night, he is eligible to play in Round Two should the Cobblers make it through. Hopefully his experience will help out the younger defenders at the club and at the very least we have a bit of cover following the bad news on Chris Doig this morning!
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