Hogg reveals thinking on goalkeeping position after Jeacock's arrival
Lincoln loanee will compete with Ross Fitzsimons after Lee Burge’s exit
Cobblers boss Chris Hogg has suggested that Lincoln loanee Zach Jeacock could well start the new campaign as his number one goalkeeper, though no concrete decision will be made until after pre-season.
Ross Fitzsimons spent much of last season as first-choice between the sticks, starting 26 league games and 31 in total, but Lee Burge took his spot towards the end of the campaign. Burge then left as Hogg pivoted to Jeacock.
The 25-year-old arrives from Lincoln with a strong reputation among Imps fans, many of whom view him as their future number one, and it seems the club see it the same way after handing Jeacock a long-term deal only a few months ago.
"Zach will be here to play games and he’s here to push in his own development,” said Hogg. “He’s here because he wanted to be at Northampton and he sees us as a good option in terms of working with James Alger to improve and develop him and help his career. I think his attributes make him a really good fit for us.
"From what I’ve seen myself, and having spoken to people who know him and watched him, he’s already a very good goalkeeper and he has the potential to be an extremely good goalkeeper. We’re very grateful to Lincoln for trusting us with him.”
Meanwhile, it was also confirmed recently that neither Cameron McGeehan nor Nesta Guinness-Walker will be staying at Sixfields. The pair are out of contract this summer and discussions over new deals have not borne fruit.
"I spoke to both players a couple of times and we had really good conversations and really open chats,” Hogg added. “I got along with them on a personal level over the phone and there are a lot of things that go into it.
"But over the summer players are discussing contracts and we got to a point where they weren't fully committed to us and we just had to move on, hence why you saw James Maxwell coming in to fill one position.
"They are two players that contributed to some good times at Northampton and we wish them all the best for the future.”