Striker Ryan Edmondson had a half-season loan spell with Tuesday night’s opponents through the second part of the 2021/22 campaign, but United gaffer Paul Simpson has never been one to put much stock on what it means to players to return to former clubs, with Jack Sowerby an example of one that’ll be happening the other way when he turns out for the Cobblers.
“Players going to somewhere they’ve played before doesn’t worry me in the slightest,” he said. “I don’t think it worries players. I think when you go back quickly, if you go back within the first month of leaving, sometimes it can be a little bit tricky.
“I don’t see that being a problem for anybody this weekend. It’s the same for Sowerby for them as well. But I don’t really mind. It’s a case of just getting on with the next game.”
Speaking more about the in-form forward, he commented: “I always knew if he got a sustained run in the team, and could stay fit for long enough, he could get goals.
“That’s why we brought him here in the summer. I think he’s starting to show that now. He had a tough time with the injury, then a silly sending off which kept him out for a few games.
“He said to me when he got injured that he wanted to make sure he was as fit as possible for when he got available again. He’s now in the side, getting his goals, and I still think there’s more to come from him.
“I want him to be more effective in games, more powerful in games, and a bit more physical than he's been. If we can get that into him, I think we’ll have a real good striker on our hands.”