Goalkeeper Mitchell determined to take his big chance at the Cobblers

On the face of it, the capture of Jonathan Mitchell on loan from Derby County might appear one of the more low-key signings of the summer so far.

The 25-year-old shot-stopper completed his move to the Cobblers on Tuesday, agreeing a season-long deal after being impressed by Town’s play-off success at the end of last season.

Having started out as a youngster with Newcastle, Mitchell has been at Pride Park since 2014 but is yet to make a league appearance for the Rams, playing five cup games across six seasons.

He’s instead had to make do with various loan spells, from Luton Town in 2016 to Macclesfield last season. He also made 19 League One appearances during 2018/19, first for Oxford Oxford United and then at Shrewsbury Town.

But whilst pulses might not be sent racing by Mitchell’s arrival at the PTS, it could, in time, prove another smart piece of business by Keith Curle.

The Rams goalkeeper has impressed during some of those aforementioned loan spells – particularly at Luton – and he’s now at the stage of his career where he’s both built up sufficient experience of EFL football and is also hungry to push on and play regular matches.

And the Cobblers might just provide the perfect place for him to do that.

“I’m now at the point where I want to really kick-on and that’s why I’m really happy to get it all sorted before the season started,” said the 6ft 2in goalkeeper following confirmation of his arrival.

“All my other loan spells have happened whilst the season has been going on so I’ve felt like I’ve had to play catch up in terms of meeting my team-mates and gelling with everyone.

“But this time we’ve got it done early doors and that’s brilliant for me because I can have a proper pre-season – whatever sort of pre-season we can have! – and I can meet everyone, crack on with it and get down to business when the League One season kicks off.”

Following David Cornell’s departure from the Cobblers at the start of July, Mitchell will compete with Steve Arnold for the number one spot when the new League One season gets going.

Arnold is currently the man in possession of the gloves following a couple of excellent performances in the play-offs, but he faces a fight to keep them from a determined new team-mate.

“I’m really looking forward to the battle with Arnie,” added Mitchell. “The manager made it quite clear to me that there will be no number one and no-one is guaranteed a place – you’re going to have to work for it.

“If you don’t do the job, there’ll be someone else ready to step in and take your place. I know Arnie well from my time at Shrewsbury so I know how good a keeper he is and we’ll battle it out and hopefully we’ll make each other a better goalkeeper.

“That’s the best way to improve and we’ll have to battle it out in training and push each other – that’s healthy competition and it makes each other better and it can only benefit the team.”

Mitchell played against the Cobblers for Macclesfield shortly before lockdown and he also watched on from home as Curle’s side romped to play-off glory with fine wins over Cheltenham and Exeter.

He was impressed by what he saw, and if that wasn’t enough to convince him to sign for the Cobblers, several meetings with the manager clinched the deal.

“The manager played a big role in bringing me here,” he added. “I had a few conversations with him and the honesty from him was something that I really liked and respected.

“He seems like a really good guy, an honest guy, and now I’m just delighted to get the move sorted and to be here.”