2015 free transfer proved to be one of Notts County’s best bits of business: View | OneFootball

Notts County have completed some exceptional pieces of business in recent seasons, with players adopting cult hero status for their performances for the Magpies.

Only recently, the likes of Jodi Jones, David McGoldrick and Dan Crowley have been welcomed to Meadow Lane on free transfers and have endeared themselves to the Notts faithful during their early careers in the East Midlands.

But before their relegation to the National League in 2019, several players had helped the club challenge for promotion from League Two, with one striker in particular remembered fondly during his four-year stay with the Magpies.

Having started his career with Huddersfield Town back in 2002, Jon Stead found himself back in Yorkshire nine years after leaving the club for Blackburn Rovers.

However, subsequent loan moves to Oldham Athletic and Bradford City would follow as the striker left the John Smith's Stadium two years after resigning with the Terriers, completing a move to Notts County ahead of the 2015/16 season.

Stead arrived at Meadow Lane with a wealth of goal-scoring experience, with fans hopeful of a positive outcome of the move having shown signs of his quality under Phil Parkinson in the previous campaign, most notably in the Bantams' FA Cup victory over Chelsea, scoring a goal as Bradford reached the semi-finals of the competition.

The striker would provide two assists on his debut in an away triumph over Stevenage, but would have to wait until October to net his first league goal for the club, scoring against Leyton Orient in a 3-1 defeat. Stead would finish the season with 23 goal contributions in all competitions, with the Magpies boosting their attacking options with the arrival of Jonathan Forte the following season.

He would equal his tally from the previous season as he scored 14 times for Notts, finishing as the club's top goalscorer for the second season in a row.

The 2017/18 campaign would see the Magpies go incredibly close to returning to League One after a three-year absence, with the arrivals of Jorge Grant, Ryan Yates and Terry Hawkridge helping them to a fifth-placed finish, only to be beaten by Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.

Stead enjoyed another fine season, scoring 13 times in all competitions including four goals in the FA Cup, which saw them reach the fourth round of the tournament, only to be beaten handsomely by then Premier League side, Swansea City, in the replay.

His final season with the club was one to forget, as Notts were relegated to the National League for the first time in their history, with Stead released by the club as a result despite having hit double figures for the fourth season in a row.

The striker would finish his Notts County career having scored 51 goals in 182 appearances, more than he had managed at his previous nine clubs, joining Harrogate Town of the fifth tier, helping them secure Football League status for the first time in their history against his former employers the following season.

While Stead won't be thanked for halting the Magpies immediate return to the Football League, his contribution and service to the club still has him well regarded among supporters to this day.

Jon Stead's Notts County transfer is one of the club's best pieces of business

Having produced some excellent pieces of business since Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz took over the club in 2019, it's hard to look past Stead as one of the best buys before their tenure began at Meadow Lane.

Among a string of striker signings, Stead was certainly the most prolific out of those, providing 20 more more goal contributions in two of his four seasons, along with hitting double figures in every campaign.

While not the easiest on the eye, Stead was effective in the areas that mattered most and his goals almost saw the Magpies reach the third tier.

The transfer fee also has to be taken into consideration. Notts have made use of free transfers since the Danish brothers took over the club, with all of their summer transfers arriving at the club on a free transfer.

Jones, McGoldrick and Crowley have all proved to be outstanding buys, but Stead has the advantage of longevity, and will be widely regarded as one of the best transfers the club has completed over the last decade.