New signing Anderson confident he can give the Cobblers an attacking spark

The 28-year-old signed on at Sixfields on deadline day after having his contract at Bradford City cancelled by mutual consent, and he is desperate to get going in the claret and white.

Anderson is set to make his Town debut in Sunday’s Sky Sports-televised clash with Milton Keynes Dons at Sixfields (ko midday), and he says he has plenty more strings to his bow than just being a winger.

And with the Cobblers struggling to create and score goals this season - just three in five league games to date, one of them an own goal - that will be music to Page’s ears, and is exactly why he signed him.

The former Nottingham Forest and Ipswich man has made his name mainly as a wide man, but Anderson says he is capable of playing in other positions too, and that he wants to start scoring more goals.

“I can play on either wing, I prefer the left but happy with right, and I can play in the hole behind the striker, and potentially in a three-man midfield,” said Anderson. “Anywhere across that middle I can do.

“I am also a hard-working player who gives 100 per cent every game, and I am a fit lad who is pretty quick with good delivery.

“I would like to score a few more goals, and I am hoping this is the season I can do that, and I have been working on that.

“Other than that, I am an honest player and will give everything for my shirt which I am sure the fans will appreciate when I go out and play.

“I want to get going and I want to show the fans here at Northampton how dedicated I am to coming here and showing them what I can do, and hopefully we will have a little bit of success.”

Success is something Leicester-born Anderson feels he has enjoyed in his career to date.

Promotions and silverware may have been lacking, but the player is proud of what he has achieved in the game since the former Welland Valley FC mini soccer player started out at the Cobblers centre of excellent as an eight-year-old.

A quick look at the clubs who have signed and who he has played for backs that up, with the roll call currently reading Hull City, Liverpool, Swansea City, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, Ipswich Town, Bradford City - and now Northampton Town

So, how did that move to Liverpool as a 17-year-old come about?

“It feels a while ago now and was a little bit unexected,” said Anderson, who hails from Melton Mowbray.

“I was at Hull City on a YTS, wasn’t on a professional contract or anything, and I performed really well in the FA Youth Cup.

“Liverpool came knocking, it was the year they had won the Champions League, and you can’t turn down the champions of Europe.

“It was a great opportunity for me, I went there and was in and around the first team. I got a couple of bench appearances but never actually got to play, but it was good to be around.

“From there I have had what I would class as a very successful career.

“I have played in the Championship for seven years, got into the play-offs three times in those seven years, but unfortunately never got past the semi-finals, buit that was an achievement in itself.

“I was at Ipswich and scored the in the play-offs (against Norwich) which was an amazing feeling, and then I went to Bradford last year hoping to push on and try and gain promotion with a league one side that was showing a little bit of ambition.

“Unfortunately I had an injury which sort of wiped out my season, and that has brought me to here and I am looking forward to moving on.”

That injury was a broken leg suffered in a league one clash against Peterborough United at Valley Parade last September, and he was out of action until the following April.

Anderson did feature in Bantams’ play-off semi-finals against Millwall at the end of last season, and made three appearances off the bench for the west Yorkshire outfit this season as well as a start in the EFL Cup, but he was told a week ago by boss Stuart McCall that they were prepared to let him go.

He immediately started looking at his options and things move pretty quickly when he found out the Cobblers were interested, but he wants to praise the Bradford supporters for the backing they gave him.

“I want to say a big thankyou to all the Bradford fans as well, because they were so patient,” said Anderson.

“Considering I was their marquee signing last summer and with a few games I was out for the season, it was unfortunate for me and them.

“I want to say big thankyou to the them because they were very supportive.

“Every club I have been at I have had a good relationship with the fans, and hopefully I can build that here at Northampton as well.”