Northampton Town snap up goalkeeper Lee Burge
Northampton Town have landed veteran goalkeeper Lee Burge on a free transfer, after his release from recently promoted Sunderland.
The 29-year-old is a veteran player in the Football League, with over 240 professional appearances to his name – primarily plying his trade with Sunderland and Coventry City.
Burge was the Black Cats’ starter between the sticks during the 2020/21 campaign, helping guide the team to fourth in League One and narrowly missing out on reaching the playoff final after a 3-2 loss to Lincoln City.
For his efforts, in which he kept 18 clean sheets in 41 appearances, Burge was named to the league’s Team of the Season.
He found his starting role snatched away by the split between Anthony Patterson and Ron-Thorben Hoffmann last season, in a season that saw Sunderland earn promotion back into the Championship after 4 years in the third tier.
Released at the end of his contract, Burge now drops down into League Two and instantly gives the Cobblers some serious stability in net. The goalkeeper has signed a 2 year contract with the Cobblers, and will be the team’s 4th signing of the summer transfer window.
Speaking of Burge’s signing, manager Jon Brady said, “Lee is a quality addition and we are delighted to be able to bring him to the club.”
“He is a really good age for a keeper and has a first class pedigree, he has played a lot of football in the Championship and League One and we feel he will be an excellent addition.”
He added: “There was a lot of interest in his services, as you would expect for a keeper of his experience and quality, and we are delighted we have been able to fend off that interest.”
“He has the qualities we were looking for and we are excited to be working with him.”
He concluded: “To be able to bring the League One Team of the Season keeper from 2021 to Sixfields is an excellent piece of business and a real coup for the club and his arrival is another key target in place.”