Brady discusses young pair's development after both impress for Cobblers

Cobblers boss Jon Brady has been hugely encouraged by the way young defenders Sam Sherring and Harvey Lintott have started their first season at Sixfields, both through their performances on matchday and the way they apply themselves on the training ground.

Sherring, a 22-year-old centre-back who joined the club from Bournemouth, started the season at centre-back and whilst a toe injury briefly disrupted his progress, he has reclaimed his place alongside Jon Guthrie in the last three games.

"I thought Sam started the season well but he took a knock and it takes great courage to come back from that,” said Brady. “The overriding thing for me was that he put the team ahead of himself when he came back against Barrow.

"He had only trained twice in four weeks but we really needed him and he put the team first. He had cramp in the last few minutes but he played really well at right-back in that game and thereafter he has played every (league) game.

"I thought, at the weekend, he was very strong aerially and he stood up to some real hefty challenges and there was a toughness to him which went to another level and that was great to see.”

Meanwhile, Lintott, who was released by Gillingham at the end of last season, was viewed as more of a long-term project, however injuries across the defence have meant Brady has had little option but to play the 19-year-old. He’s already made 12 appearances this season, doubling the overall number of games he’s played at senior level across his career.

Brady added: "With Harv, he had the setback he did after being released and then he's got a second chance with us and we have really put our arm around him, but he's got an insatiable appetite in training.

"He works hard, he listens and he is developing all the time, as is Sam. They are both working so hard to improve their game on the training ground and as a manager, to have players like that come in and be so coachable, it's incredible.

"Myself, Col, Marc, all of us, we are so enthusiastic in our work and when we have players like that, you are buzzing and you are bouncing off them and we see a lot of growth in them both.

"Harvey has had to grow a lot quicker because he's more inexperienced in terms of games compared to Sam and there's still loads more improvement in them both. But so far, the trajectory is very good."