Boss Curle says new striker Oliver gives Cobblers 'an alternative threat'

New Cobblers signing Vadaine Oliver (Picture: Pete Norton)

The 27-year-old has put pen to paper on a one-year deal at the PTS Academy Stadium, having become a free agent after rejecting a 12-month contract at previous club Morecambe.

A targetmen who stands at 6ft 2ins tall, Oliver has netted a modest 51 goals in 182 starts and 89 substitute appearances in his career to date.

He only scored eight times in the past two seasons at the Globe Arena, but Curle believes there is plenty more to come from the Sheffield-born front man, and that crucially he is a different kind of striker to the ones already at the club.

Oliver joins fellow new signing Harry Smith, as well as Andy Williams and Junior Morias as Town's out-and-out frontrunners, and Curle said: "Vadaine is a welcome addition to the group of strikers we have at the club.

“He will add competition and depth to the attacking unit.

"Over the course of a season you will need different options, you need to pose a different threat and have more than one plan up your sleeve.

"You need different ways of scoring goals and winning games, and Vadaine offers an alternative threat for us."

Curle has been tracking Oliver's career for a number of years, and said: "He is a player I have identified previously ,and I believe I can get the best out of him.

"He is a very unselfish striker. He attracts defenders and occupies them and he can be a real handful to play against.

"Vadaine is the sort of striker who works hard for the team and other players benefit from his presence.

“You need to have a batch of strikers who can stay fresh and sharp over a long season and in order to achieve that you need to have competition and options among the strikers and he provides that.

"We believe we have added creativity to the squad this summer, and Vadaine's qualities mean he is the sort of striker who can get on the end of crosses that are delivered in to the area and be a threat.

“He has a first class attitude, a strong work ethic and he is a welcome addition to the group."