Cobblers signing Rose will relish promotion pressure

The 27-year-old has signed a short-term Sixfields deal to the end of the season, after Oxford United agreed to release from the final six months of his contract at the Kassam Stadium.

The former Manchester United trainee can’t wait to get started in a Cobblers shirt, and will be hoping to be involved in Saturday’s clash against bottom-of-the-table York City.

But even if he has to wait a little longer than that for his debut in the claret and white, Rose is relishing the challenge of pressing for a title.

“When you are involved in clubs that are going for promotion and enjoying success, it doesn’t come around too often,” said Rose, who appeared 19 times for Town’s rivals Oxford this season, with his last league start back on October 3.

“Last season at Oxford we didn’t have the greatest of starts and we were sort of always looking over our shoulders for most of the season.

“It was the most enjoyable of seasons until the last four or five games when we knew we were safe.

“But when you have that different kind of pressure on your shoulders, when you know there is something rewarding at the end of it, that is a nice pressure to have.”

Rose has been impressed by the spirit he has encountered at Sixfields, and says that makes it easier for him to settle in.

“If you are coming into a dressing room that’s a bit doom and gloom, if the team is in a bit of a dogfight, which could have been the case for me if this move hadn’t materialised and I had maybe had to go on loan elsewhere, it can be difficult,” said the former Newport County and Aldershot man.

“But when everybody is walking through the door with smiles on their faces, it is an easy dressing room to fit into, and it also helps that I know a few of the lads already.”

So what sort of player can the Cobblers fans expect to see?

“I am just getting into my prime and I would like to think I have a few years left,” said Rose, who hails from Bristol and is a former Oxford team-mate of Ryan Clarke and Alfie Potter.

“I like to think I can do a bit of everything, and I definitely give my all every game.

“I like to think I bring a bit of composure to the play.

“I have been promoted twice in my career, and I know the gaffer likes to have players who have had that experience.

“I like to think i know what it takes in terms of getting a club over the line when it comes to promotion.”

Rose’s move to the Cobblers was announced on Monday night, and he has been delighted with the messages he has received from Cobblers fans.

“I have had overwhelming support already since the club announced the signing, from supporters online and on social media welcoming me to the club,” he said.

“That reiterates to me the positivity around the club at the moment, the fans are happy, the players are smiling, and hopefully I can get some game time that I have been wanting.”

The downside for Rose is that he leaves an Oxford United club he has called home for four years over two spells, and he admits leaving a club is always difficult.

“I first joined Oxford on loan when I was 19-years-old. I signed permanently for a year after that, and then went back to the club in 2013.” said Rose, who was signed for that second stint at the Us by Chris Wilder.

“It’s a club that has been close to my heart for a number of years, I made a lot of friends for life there, and I am good friends with some of the fans, the staff and the players as well.

“In that respect it was tough to come to the right decision that it was time for me to leave and start afresh somewhere else.

“When I looked at it from a career perspective, then it was the right choice to move on.”

Rose’s short-term contract will run out in the summer, but the player admits he is already hoping he will get the chance to extend the stay at Northampton if possible.

“Chris Wilder knows what I am about, and he knows me inside out,” said Rose.

“There are no assurances of anything beyond this season as of now, but if I can contribute in a positive way between now and the end of the season then I am sure we will hold talks if it all goes to plan.”