SCOTTISH international left-back Gary Naysmith has signed for Town from Sheffield United in a deal which boss Lee Clark believes underlines the club’s ambition.
While goalkeeper Simon Eastwood has joined Oxford United on a two-year contract, ex-Everton star Naysmith has snubbed the offer of a new deal with Sheffield United to sign two-year terms at the Galpharm.
He becomes Town’s second international capture in three days, after Burnley’s Icelandic midfielder Joey Gudjonsson, and their third signing since the end of the season, with Naysmith’s compatriot Scott Arfield, the Falkirk midfielder, also on board.
Edinburgh-born Naysmith, 31, who started out at home-city club Hearts, has 46 caps and has made 364 club appearances.
And Clark, who tried Robbie Williams, Joe Skarz and Dean Heffernan at left-back last season, believes that experience will be telling.
“Gary is a massive signing. We have worked very hard to get him. He has got real experience at the very highest level, but the big thing for me is that from the very first day I met him you can tell he still has unbelievable desire and ambition,” he said.
“He’s got 46 caps for Scotland but he’s desperate to get to 50 and enter the Hall of Fame for Scottish footballers.
“He still has real hunger and desire and he is at a good age, so I’m delighted.
“I earmarked that I wanted more experienced players in and he is just that – we have done very well to attract a player of Gary’s calibre at this stage of his career.
“It will be brilliant, not just for specialist left-backs like Liam Ridehalgh, but for everyone at the club, to see how a player like Gary works and learn from him.
“I hope this shows how ambitious the club is and how determined we are to make progress.”
Naysmith, who joined Everton for £1.75m in 2000 then Sheffield United for £1m in 2007, recovered from a knee injury to play in the last two games of the campaign.
