Nolan explains how he went from Ireland to Sixfields via Inter Milan and Getafe

From Ireland to Sixfields, via Inter Milan and Getafe, Ryan Nolan has not taken the traditional route in achieving his lifelong ambition of playing football in England.

The 23-year-old defender caught just about everyone by surprise when his move to Sixfields on a free transfer was confirmed on Monday.

He is an interesting player with an unusual background.

“I’m originally from Ireland but when I was eight my family moved to Spain,” explains the centre-back.

“I was playing at a decent level over there but I played in a big tournament and did very well and the Inter Milan scout wanted me to go over and have a closer look at me.

“I did well there and I ended up at Inter for four years. I spent one season on loan in the third division in Italy but after finishing in the academy I wanted to move back to Spain because all my friends and family were there and it felt more like home for me.

“I went to Getafe B and it went well again so I started training with the first-team but then I suffered the injury and meant I was out for quite a long time.”

The injury Nolan refers to is the one all footballers dread – a cruciate ligament tear.

“I had been at Getafe for four or five months when I got the injury,” he continues.

“It was going really well at the time. I was with the first-team training every day and twice I was on the bench for games in in La Liga so I was very close to playing but the injury was just bad luck."

Nolan is unlikely to feature for the Cobblers any time soon but his grounding in Italy has stood him in good stead and Jon Brady believes he may have unearthed a hidden gem.

“It was brilliant to learn in Italy,” Nolan added. “Training sessions were very hard and there was a lot of work done on shape, your positioning and and how to defend.

“They kind of treat defending like a religion. Every small aspect of defending they love.

“I had a few coaches who were centre-halves and played in Serie A so they were very meticulous and taught every little movement.

“They show you loads of videos of the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini and how they defend and how to think as a defender.

“I played for Inter in pre-season and I was also on the bench for a Europa League match.

“When you’re there and in the moment you just think it’s normal because you’re surrounded by all these great players but it’s only when you come out you realise what an experience was.

“It was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. It’s a very good place to learn your trade as a defender.”

So, after all that, how did he end up with Northampton?

“Being Irish, ever since I was young I have loved watching English football,” he says.

“The Premier League, League One, League Two, whatever, I watched it a lot growing up, and I have always wanted to come and play in England.

“I didn’t know when that would be, whether it would be now or in the future, but my aim was always to play in England because I think the football here is better than any other country.

“After the injury, when this opportunity came up, I wanted to see what it was like. Northampton are a big club at this level so I wanted to see everything and they wanted to have a look at me, especially to see if I could get back to what I was before the injury.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to come to England and do well at a good club. I’m very happy to be here and there’s good lads here who have helped me so I couldn’t be any happier.”