Stockport County stint will ensure Warburton will be at home at the Cobblers

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder signed on at Edgeley Park two years ago, making the switch from Curzon Ashton, and he went on to score 48 goals in 98 appearances for the club.

The Hatters may well have been operating in Vanarama National League North, the same level as Brackley Town, but they are still a Football League club in all but name, having been relegated to non-League in 2011.

Average attendances for their National League North games this season topped 4,500. and as they closed in on the title, which was sealed on the final day of the campaign, they attracted two 6,000-plus crowds to home games.

Their away support is impressive as well, with more than 3,500 travelling to Nuneaton to see the team clinch the championship, and around 3,000 going to each of their three previous trips to Hereford, Chester and Chorley.

So although he is joining the Cobblers from non-League, Warburton knows that thanks to playing for such a big fish in a small pond he is going to be able to handle playing at the PTS Academy Stadium and other league two grounds.

"Stockport is a huge club, and probably the biggest non-League club in the area," said Warburton.

"It's fanbase is unbelievable, and I think we had an average of around 4,000 or 5,000 this season, and there were 6,000 at some games.

"We won the league (at Nuneaton) and we had 3,500 there, and I am sure we could have sold that out two or three times over.

"So Stockport has been a great club for me to be at and hone my skills with a wonderful management team.

"I couldn't have been at a better place to set me up for League football."

Town manager Keith Curle, who went to watch Warburton three times before trying to attract him to the Cobblers, agrees with his new signing.

"Stockport got slightly derailed as football club, but the games I went to there they had fantastic support, and they have a fantastic support base," he said.

"The lad won't get fazed about playing in league two."