Chesterfield look to put finishing touches to summer recruitment drive

Six players have arrived in the close season and all got a run-out in Saturday’s friendly against Sheffield United.

Junior Eccleston, Alfie Pond and Jack Simpson have come in to reinforce the defence. There is a new defensive midfielder in George McEachran while winger Josh Koroma arrived on a season-long loan from Leyton Orient.

The only out and out striker signed so far is Koroma’s one-time Orient clubmate Ruel Sotiriou.

Assistant manager Danny Webb told the Derbyshire Times: “The bulk (of the business) is done, although there are certain positions where you might still want to strengthen.

"We are hoping injuries don’t set us back even more and you then have to fill places that we didn’t think were empty and suddenly are.

"We are alright at the moment and it is still very early days of pre-season. Any staff wants to make the team stronger, you always want better players. The wheels are always turning. There is always room for strengthening.”

At the age of 29, centre-back Simpson is the oldest of the new recruits.

Eccleston is only 19, Pond is 22 and McEachran, Koroma and Sotiriou are all in and around the mid-20s.

"If you look at a lot of the lads we have brought in this year, in terms of the age there is a remit in terms of what we are trying to recruit,” said Webb.

"You have seen energy and a freshness that you don’t usually see a couple of games into pre-season."

As in the first friendly away to Clay Cross Town, Chesterfield took another look at a group of trialists at the weekend. Again there was no sign of striker Will Grigg.

Added Webb: "You can’t keep all the trialists. In the next week or so that gets watered down. There are a couple we probably will sign but at the minute I don’t know who they are.”

The management team will get another chance to look at them in the next friendly away to Halifax Town tomorrow (7.45pm).