Buchanan quickly felt 'at home' after making 'big decision' to move down south and join Cobblers

David Buchanan admits moving away from his family to join the Cobblers in 2015 was a 'big decision' but one that was made easier by the pull of working with Chris Wilder and Alan Knill.

The now-Chesterfield defender was released by Preston North End at the end of the 2014/15 season and signed a three-year contract with the Cobblers a week later.

"I had a good time at Preston," says Buchanan. "In the season I got released, we beat Swindon in the play-off final to get promoted to the Championship and the year before we lost in semi-final so we had a couple of good seasons in a row.

"I think I played the first 20 odd games or something in the promotion season but I pulled my hamstring in February and that kept me out for a while.

"The team were just doing so well that I couldn't get back into the side when I was fit so coming towards the end of the season, as a player you know that your time will be up, especially as the club were moving to the next level."

Whilst heading 150 miles down south and dropping from a team promoted to the Championship to a mid-table League Two outfit was not a straightforward decision, Buchanan says the influence of Wilder and Knill helped tempt him to put pen to paper.

"I worked with Alan and Chris at Bury," he added. "Back then Knilly was the gaffer and Chris was his assistant before he went on and took the Oxford job.

"I played well for Alan and I had a good relationship with them and even before the season had finished, I had a conversation with both of them about the possibility of coming to Northampton.

"When I met them, everything was positive and they really sold the place to me.

"At first I didn't really want to drop down from top of League One back into League Two. That wasn't me being arrogant or anything, it was just that I thought I had done well at that level and it was my chance to be in the Championship, or if not a top League One team.

"But fair play to Chris and Alan because when I sat and met them, they told me their plans and I just felt comfortable and I felt at home.

"They had survived relegation the year before and things hadn't been going swimmingly for Chris before I came in but they sold the club to me.

"Obviously it was moving away from my family again but they offered me a three-year deal and that was a big swing for me in terms of being persuaded to join the club."

Given what would happen over the next 12 months, Buchanan's gamble to sign for the Cobblers was one that emphatically paid off.

"I remember playing against Northampton a few times before I signed and it was always a good battle with them," he added.

"There's no denying it was a big move and a big decision but the fact that there was a three-year deal on the table swung it for me and working with Knilly and Chris again played a part.

"We got to the play-off semi-final with Bury together and they also told me the players they were looking to sign. You can't predict anything but I just had a feeling we'd be successful."