Northampton Town are reportedly set to sign left-back Liam McCarron following a successful trial at the club.
The defender still has one year left on his contract at Stoke City, but Steven Schumacher’s side are willing to release him this summer, with Town the beneficiary. The 23-year-old joined the club from Leeds United but has only featured for the senior side once in two years.
Stoke headed to Ireland for a pre-season camp in Cork but McCarron instead travelled to play for The Cobblers in a friendly against Norwich City and has impressed Jon Brady enough for a contract to be offered according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke.
Born in Preston, he broke through at Carlisle United before Leeds came in for him, rejecting a new contract at Brunton Park and instead opting for a three-year deal at Elland Road. Marco Bielsa handed him a debut in the Premier League against Arsenal but that would prove to be his only appearance in the top flight.
Northampton are short in the left-back position, with Patrick Brough being the only option there. The former Barrow player started 37 of Town’s 46 League One games last season, scoring twice and assisting a further three.
The arrival of Sint-Truidense’s Eric Bocat this summer pushes McCarron further down the squad list in Staffordshire, with Enda Stevens and Lynden Gooch also able to play on the left-hand of the defence.
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This will not be the full-back’s first taste of League One football, after a short loan stint at Port Vale in 2022, where he played four times. He however has lacked in regular game time, with his last minutes in a competitive game coming in a loss against Brighton in the FA Cup last season.
Writer’s View
The signing of Eric Bocat probably spelt the end of Liam McCarron’s stint at Stoke City. Moving down to fourth choice at the club would not benefit him at all, meaning a move away was likely this summer. He has found a new club in Northampton Town and whilst he will certainly get playing time, a first-team spot is not a guarantee.
Patrick Brough has been a reliable option for Jon Brady in League One and almost always sees out the full game. Cover at full-back is necessary though so bringing in a younger player from the league above, like McCarron wouldn’t hurt. It would be expected for Brough to start on the opening day against Bristol Rovers but a few performances could give Brady a real headache further down the line.
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.
