Danny Cowleyplaceholder image
Danny Cowley
Danny Cowley ‘did not think it would be possible’ for Colchester United to land Cobblers target Ben Perry on a permanent deal from Nottingham Forest this summer.
Northampton had the opportunity to sign the 20-year-old at the start of the summer after his excellent loan spell last season, but they did not think he was worth Forest’s asking price, and that opened the door for Colchester to nip in and tie up Perry on a three-year contract, a deal that was confirmed last week.
"It’s a really good signing for us and it’s one that we didn’t think would be possible for us,” admitted Cowley. “But we have a good relationship with Nottingham Forest and we had a couple of their players on loan last season and they did really well for us.
"We actually tried to take Ben on loan in January but Forest weren’t keen because we already had a player in a similar position so we understood and he then went to Northampton and he played a pivotal role in keeping them in League One.
"We watched Ben and his pitch coverage and his athleticism and his intensity are all really good and he’s also technically a good footballer. He has a high ceiling and we’re very grateful to Forest for allowing it to happen. The way they structured the deal allowed us to take him on a permanent.”
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