Swindon Town have announced their third signing of the summer in the shape of former AFC Wimbledon midfielder James Ball who signs a two-year deal with the club.
He follows fellow midfielders, Tom Nichols and Darren Oldaker in joint Ian Holloway’s side, reports Yahoo Sports.
Ball Buzzing To Be A Robin
James Ball was part of the AFC Wimbledon squad that gained promotion to League One via the playoffs but only featured 15 times last season.
After completing his move to Swindon, Ball expressed his delight at the transfer.
“I’m buzzing to join a club with the ambition and fanbase of Swindon Town. I can’t wait to get started, meet the lads, and get out on the pitch to show what I can do.”
The Robins found themselves languishing toward the bottom of League Two until the appointment of Ian Holloway changed their fortunes and Holloway’s influence is something that didn’t go unnoticed by the new signing.
“I had a phone call with the Manager last week, and he sold Swindon to me. He told me about his ambitions for the club this season and the project for the future, and I could see the improvement when he took over last season and his influence was massive.”
“If we look at Swindon in terms of form and how they performed at the back end of last season, then there’s no better place to be.”
Holloway Seeks The Right Characters
Ian Holloway has already added three new signings to his squad as he prepares for the new season and he insists it’s about finding the right people who want to be at the club.
“Today, everything is about how much they want to be here. Then you have got people for the right reasons, not the wrong reasons.”
“In this game, some people sign for clubs for the wrong reasons, and I am not going to have that here.”
“You get a horrible atmosphere, and then you get horrible players, and that is not what we want. That is why Wrexham have done so well. There is a balance.”
Writer’s View
Ball brings with him plenty of experience in the lower divisions of English league football and also brings versatility as he can be used in a variety of roles.
He performed his defensive duties admirably in the time he spent on the pitch for Wimbledon last season, making him an attractive option to Holloway.
