Former Barnsley defender Conor McCarthy rejected other clubs in favour of Northampton due to 'one big attraction'
Conor McCarthy says there was ‘one big attraction’ that convinced him to sign for Northampton after revealing he turned down offers from several clubs this summer.
The 27-year-old Irishman, who started out at hometown club Cork City, spent three years playing for Barnsley after impressing in Scotland with St Mirren, however he struggled for regular game-time at Oakwell and was released at the end of last season.
In need of a new club, the central defender has not been short of offers this the summer but he ultimately opted for a move to Sixfields – and two men in particular were a significant reason for that decision.
"I’m absolutely delighted to have signed for this club and it feels great to get it over the line so soon,” said McCarthy after penning a two-year deal on Monday. “It came down to the feeling of being wanted. The manager and Colin Calderwood were on my phone the whole summer. They knew what I could bring to the club and they were really excited and I think that's probably what swayed my decision.
"I turned down other clubs to come here and I think the idea of working with Colin and the manager definitely made the decision easier. They are the kind of people that you listen to when they say something.
"The amount of experience they both have speaks for itself. If I'm able to pick up anything from those two it will only help my game moving forward and that was one big attraction for me when it came to signing for this football club."
Whilst McCarthy was never likely to be out of the game for long, it was still a chaotic and anxious few weeks as he weighed up his options after being let go by Barnsley.
He added: "It is a stressful time but those are the moments when you sit down with your friends and family and put all the options on the table and you go for the best one and Northampton was ultimately the best one for me.
"I believe I've made the right decision and I’m delighted to be here. It was important to get it sorted before pre-season and now I just can't wait to get fit and firing for the season ahead.”