Defender Aaron Pierre delighted as he makes a step up with the Cobblers

The ambitious 24-year-old became a free agent this summer after his contract with Sky Bet League Two side Wycombe Wanderers ran out, and he saw that as his chance to move up the football ladder.

Pierre has attracted attention from a clutch of clubs, and spent a few weeks on trial at Championship outfit Bristol City, even playing two pre-season friendlies for the Robins before boss Lee Johnson decided not to offer him a contract.

The Grenada international has been on Town boss Justin Edinburgh’s shopping list all summer, and when things didn’t fall into place at Ashton Gate, the Town boss was quick to pounce, and the player was quick to decide Sixfields is where his future lies.

“I am very happy to get everything sorted, and now I can just focus on the game and, as a Northampton player, be the best player I can be,” said Pierre, who is a Chelsea supporter.

“My contract ran out at Wycombe, and I wanted to play at a higher level, and get the best opportunity for me to get more game time to still show what I am made of.

“Northampton is the best place for me.

“All my life I have wanted to be a professional footballer, and play at the best level I can, even play in the Premier League hopefully.

“I want to be as successful as I can be, and this is another stepping stone to my dreams.”

Pierre has also been impressed by Edinburgh and his plans, and said: “We are very similar, we both want to be successful, we both want to push on and hopefully get promoted.

“It is so easy to get on with somebody who has a similar mindset to you, and hopefully we will do very well this season, strive forward, and see where we are at the end of it.”

Pierre spent three successful seasons at Adams Park, and he was quick to thank Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth for giving him his chance in senior football.

Struggling to get into the first team picture at Brentford, who he had joined from the youth system at Fulham, it was Ainsworth who gave Pierre his chance.

He took him on loan in 2014 and he has never looked back, joining the Chairboys permanently that summer and becoming a more or less permanent fixture in their defence.

“Gareth Ainsworth is a great guy, and he helped me a lot,” admitted Pierre.

“At that time, not a lot of managers wanted to take young players on loan, but he was the guy that said ‘yeah, I’ll take him on loan’.

“Here I am now with 150-odd games under my belt, and I can only thank him and the staff at Wycombe for that.”

So what sort of defender is Pierre going to be?

Plenty of Cobblers supporters will be very familiar with the player and his strengths, but he outlined them himself.

“I will be very dominant and very vocal, very athletic, and just do the basics of a defender,” said the Southall-born player.

“I will win headers, win tackles, be very professional about it, but at the same time I am going to express myself.

“Hopefully, the fans will like my performances and that we can succeed from that.”