Prosser knows he faces fight for starting place at Cobblers

Prosser is at Northampton until the end of the season, having become frustrated at his lack of game-time at Roots Hall.

The 27-year-old has been with Southend since 2010 and admits he is sad to leave a club he clearly has a lot of affection for, but he says the fact he wasn’t being picked by manager Phil Brown was the main reason for moving on.

That would suggest he expects to start more often for the Cobblers, but the player knows he isn’t guaranteed such a luxury and that he is going to have to work hard to earn selection ahead of his central defensive rivals Rod McDonald, Zander Diamond and Ryan Cresswell.

“Southend is close to home for me, so my family and everybody was settled,” said the Enfield-born player. “But it is about playing games, and if you’re not playing games you’re not happy.

“This is an opportunity to come up here to Northampton, to hopefully play a few games, and be part of a successful team again and get promoted.

“I have been keeping tabs on results and there is obviously going to be competition for places, and that is healthy in any squad.

“If I can help in anyway, whether that be pushing people to play better, or I can get my chance and that pushes others then that is only going to benefit the team.”

A key thing Prosser does bring to the squad is experience.

He was part of the Southend team promoted via the play-offs last season, and said: “I would like to think I can bring experience, as last year I played a big part in Southend getting promoted and we did really well.

“I have been at Southend for six years and had three or four play-offs, and two Wembley finals, so I would like think I have experience in that respect.

“I know that league two is not an easy league to get out of.

“At the moment the boys are flying and doing really well, and we have to maintain that now and see the season out.”

Prosser, who began his career as a youth trainee at Tottenham Hotspur before joining Port Vale, is initially only a loan signing at Sixfields, but he is open to a longer stay.

“At the moment it is just a loan deal, but we will see how it goes for both parties.

“We will see how well I do, and see if I am wanted come the end of the season. But I am raring to get going.

“I know a few of the lads, and I have just seen Rico (Marc Richards) and he was pleased to see me because we like giving each other a kick when we play against each other!

“We’ll just have to do that in training now I suppose.

“I know Cressy, obviously John-Joe (O’Toole) came to Southend last season, I know Joel Byrom and Ricky Holmes, so hopefully I will settle in straight away.”

Prosser joins a team in prime form and sitting pretty at the top of the Sky Bet League Two table, and he is looking forward to getting involved, starting with next Saturday’s Sixfields date with York City.

“Promotion is the main aim for this club, and we are in a fantastic situation at the moment,” he said.

“It is important now that in the next couple of months we see it over the line.”