Iron boss Brian Laws expressed his delight at the return of midfield talisman Matty Sparrow, who became the club’s sixth signing of the season on Thursday morning.
The manager was thrilled to secure Sparrow, not only for his on-field talent but also for the impact he’s sure to have in the dressing room and the club as a whole, having had such a strong relationship with the club’s supporters during his 11 year stay at Glanford Park, which ended in 2010.Laws told The Iron Player: “The signing itself is brilliant for the football club.
“We’ve talked about bringing people in that have got something to feel for this football club and that’s where the success has been driven from before.
“They have a close relationship with the supporters and there’s that feel good factor around the place and Matt coming in has just epitomised it and embraced it. Not only that, you’ve got a good footballer.
“I didn’t feel for one minute that we’d get him because he’s without doubt better than League Two but he wants to be part of a strong group again. I think he could be a real focal point.
“Matty looks like he’s never been away.”
Laws had been actively pursuing Sparrow for some time and was delighted to finally get the deal over the line.
He continued: “It’s no secret we tried to get him in League One last season (in January) so my communication with Matt has been ongoing since then.
“I’ve probably spoken more to him than I have my wife!
“It’s been all worth it in the end and it shows, even though we’ve cut the budget, that we’re still allowing ourselves to bring in good quality players.”
Laws hinted at the importance of the midfield pairing that Sparrow will likely form with Michael Collins and sees the duo as being a driving force in the team’s spine in the season ahead.
“I could see him forming a fantastic relationship with Michael Collins," he added.
“They’ve both got a huge appetite for the game and I think it could be a real driving force for our team.
“You’ve got to stay away from injuries for sure but I think the spine of the team is the key.
“Having those two in the centre in the engine room would quite clearly drive the team forward.
“They’re both winners. They both want to be successful and they both want to be part of a good group of people and they know how to get on to winning games.
“Michael is a totally changed man, that’s why we’ve given him the captaincy.
“He’s very focused, so we have two really powerful midfield players in there and that can only help us.”
The Iron face Brigg Town in their pre-season opener at the Hawthorns on Saturday and Laws declared that the returning midfielder would be likely to be involved in some way.
“Matty is a very, very fit lad anyway and he’s looked after himself over the summer," added Laws.
"We’ve already done some testing over the summer and Matty’s not too far away in any way.
"So there won’t be any issues with that… he certainly will take part on Saturday.”