Branden Horton becomes Iron's third new summer recruit

Scunthorpe United is delighted to announce the signing of Gateshead defender Branden Horton as the club’s third new summer recruit on a free transfer.

The 24-year-old, who traditionally plays at left-back, began his career at Doncaster Rovers, and was handed his senior league debut by Iron manager Andy Butler during an interim spell at the club back in March 2021.

With a youth career under his belt at Rovers, he also made two EFL Trophy appearances in the 2018-19 campaign and would go on to make a total of 41 appearances for the Yorkshire-based club, scoring three goals. 23 of those appearances would be league starts, scoring two goals among those games.

During his time at Doncaster Rovers, Horton would go on two loan spells to Gainsborough Trinity in the Northern Premier League, making three appearances in his short stint in the 2018-19 campaign before returning to make 11 in all competitions in the following season, scoring once. In 2020-21, he would join Southern League Premier Division Central side Redditch United on loan, making 10 appearances in all competitions, scoring once.

In June 2022, he would join Chesterfield, and would spend three campaigns at the side, making a total of 69 appearances in all competitions, scoring once. That did include a total of 30 appearances during the Spireites’ promotion winning campaign as they returned to the EFL.

Fast forward to February earlier this year, Horton joined Gateshead and would be a consistent mainstay in their team until the end of the season, making 17 appearances in the National League to guide the side to an eighth place finish, just outside the play-off places.

With recent fifth tier experience under his belt including a promotion, EFL experience and his past relationship with the gaffer, the defender arrives as another new piece to Butler’s puzzle going into the 2025-26 campaign.

Speaking following signing for the Iron on a one-year deal, Branden said: "I'm buzzing to sign for the club - I've been wanting to get it done for a while now. I know the gaffer well from my time at Donny, and I know John Schofield as well.

"I had another year at Gateshead, but the chance came up to come here, I don't live far away so I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me. Obviously it's a big club with a good fan base."