Cobblers boss Boothroyd to take extended look at defender Amankwaah

The 31-year-old played the full 90 minutes of Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Peterborough United, lining up at right-back.

Boothroyd is in the market for a full-back on that side following the release of John Johnson and a knee injury to Kelvin Langmead that will keep the skipper out for three months and could see regular right-back Ben Tozer used in the centre.

Amankwaah, who played 32 times for Exeter City last season, could fit the bill and is in line for another examination in the warm-up match at Corby Town on Wednesday night.

“I want a bit more time with Kevin,” he said. “That’s the good thing about having these players with you all the time, you can find out all the little things about them.

“He seems like a good character, he’s got good references and he did very well on Saturday in what was his first 90 minutes of the summer.

“They were a team who has just come down from the championship and that will have been a really good work-out for him.”

One trial player whose time at the club has been cut short is Lateef Elford-Alliyu, who has been allowed to leave despite scoring five goals in two friendly matches.

Boothroyd felt the former West Brom and Crawley striker did not offer much that the squad does not already have.

“I think he (Elford-Alliyu) is very similar to Roy O’Donovan but I think Roy is a better player and we don’t want to have the same players but with different faces.

“We need a bit of variety and that’s what we will be looking at. One or two of the younger players have stepped up in pre-season and maybe they can be the boys on the bench when the season starts.”