Cobblers title winner John-Joe O'Toole signs for AFC Rushden & Diamonds
AFC Rushden & Diamonds have signed former Northampton Town midfielder and title winner John-Joe O'Toole.
The Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division outfit have snapped up the 37-year-old, who has been a free agent since leaving EFL outfit AFC Wimbledon in the summer.
O'Toole, who is set to make his Diamonds debut in their home clash with Sutton Coldfield Town at Hayden Road on Saturday (ko 3pm), has more than 500 senior Football League and cup appearances to his name for a whole host of clubs, and is also a former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international.
Starting his career at Watford, Harrow-born OToole went on to play for Sheffield United, Colchester United and Bristol Rovers, before signing for the Cobblers in the summer of 2014.
O'Toole initially struggled to settle at Sixfields and was sent out on loan to Southend United early in his time at the club.
But he knuckled down and quickly became a key man under the management of Chris Wilder, and was voted the club's player of the year as they stormed to the Sky Bet League Two title in 2016.
In all, O'Toole spent five years with the Cobblers before his departure in 2019, making 194 appearances in the claret and white and scoring 35 goals.
After he left Sixfields, he went on to play for Burton Albion, Mansfield Town and finally Wimbledon, who helped to promotion from league two last season, with his final appearance for the Dons coming on April 1 last year.
O'Toole, who still lives in Northampton and has been training with Diamonds for the past few weeks, is the fourth new face to sign on at Diamonds in the space of the past seven days, following on from teenage Cobblers loanees Joziah Barnett and Ollie Evans and former Corby Town attacker Jordan O'Brien.