Burge '100 per cent' wants to stay at Cobblers but Brady remains coy on goalkeeper's future

Cobblers goalkeeper Lee Burge ‘100 per cent’ wants to stay at the club next season, but manager Jon Brady says no decisions have been made on the players who are out of contract in the summer.

Having made 39 appearances last season after joining Northampton in the summer of 2022, Burge has had a stop-start campaign due to injury but returned from two months out with a clean sheet against Port Vale on Saturday.

With his current deal set to expire this summer, the 31-year-old was asked after the game if he plans to stay at Sixfields. "Yes, 100 per cent I want to be here next season,” he confirmed. “I love playing here. I've got four games to play and my aim at the minute is just to be fit and get back on the pitch.

"I think at the moment I need to play the last four games and then myself and the club will go from there. I think we both know what we want and hopefully it can get sorted.”

Brady opted to recall Burge against Vale with Wolves loanee Louie Moulden dropping to the bench.

"I'm over the moon for Burgey because it's been a frustrating season,” said Brady. “I was really pleased with him. It's harsh on Louie but that's football and Louie's come in and probably played more than he expected and he's done well.

"But Burgey's now fit and he needs to prove his fitness between now and the end of the season because we know what he can do.”

On the goalkeeper’s future, Brady added: "There's a lot of players within the group that we need to look at first and foremost and that's what we're doing. Burgey is certainly one of those players and when he's been fit and available, he's done very well for this football club.

"He was exceptional last season and to come back after two months out and be as sharp as he was, it's testament to him and the work James Alger has done with him.”