Northampton Town and Chris Wilder hit the jackpot with Portsmouth FC transfer: View | OneFootball

Ricky Holmes fired Chris Wilder's side to a historic season.

Northampton Town recruited excellently in the summer of 2015, but Ricky Holmes' January arrival was the most significant to their success.

The winger signed from Portsmouth the January prior and enjoyed a fruitful spell, where he spearheaded an unlikely play-off push under Chris Wilder.

The 2015 summer oversaw changes at Sixfields in which the club signed players such as; David Buchanan, Adam Smith, Nicky Adams, Sam Hoskins and Rod McDonald, who all played significant roles in Northampton's title-winning campaign and beyond.

Wilder's Cobblers won League Two by a significant margin of 13 points, tallying up 99 points while remaining unbeaten throughout the second half of the season.

Holmes played a significant role in that unbeaten run after signing for the club permanently on a free transfer in January 2015 after a four-game stint on loan from Portsmouth.

Holmes' first stint with the club was short and sweet after he was sold to Charlton Athletic following promotion, with Addicks boss at the time, Russell Slade, referring to Holmes as his 'top target'.

However, the winger will never be forgotten by the Cobblers faithful after producing some of the best individual displays and moments by anyone to wear claret and white.

Out of favour at Pompey

It was evident that Holmes had fallen out of favour at Portsmouth when Wilder's Cobblers signed him on loan in January 2015, and then even clearer when his move was made permanent on a free transfer after only four games at Sixfields.

However, the winger had proven his class before his move to the south coast, scoring ten goals in 48 games in 2011/12 and five in 27 the season after.

The move to Pompey didn't quite work out as planned, only scoring twice for the club. Both came in his first season before he fell out of favour and struggled with injury in his second before the initial loan move to Northampton.

Despite Pompey fans' damning reviews of Holmes, he found his feet again under Wilder, scoring five in 21 to end the 14/15 campaign. Town awarded the winger a two-and-a-half-year deal when he signed permanently and Wilder's backing of him certainly payed off.

Holmes' scintillating form at the end of the season left Town fans wondering how they managed to pick him up on a free transfer and were understandably excited to see the impact he could make over a full season. Portsmouth's trash was Northampton's treasure on this occasion.

Holmes' return propelled Northampton to a record-breaking season

The 2015/16 Northampton side headed by Wilder was unarguably one of the best the division has ever seen, yet they were without their star player for the first half of the season.

To the disappointment of Cobblers fans, Holmes spent the first half of the season out with injury.

Holmes made the wait worthwhile for the supporters and Wilder. Coming on as a substitute at 3-3 against Luton Town, Holmes picked the ball up just past the halfway line and scored a magnificent solo goal to win the game for Cobblers, a sign of what was to come in the second half of a dream season.

On return, there was rarely a game that he didn't impact. When he wasn't scoring screamers, he was converting crucial penalties, such as in a 1-0 win away at promotion-chasing Oxford United.

Holmes' spell with the club peaked as he helped his side complete a three-goal comeback to beat Stevenage away from home with an exhilarating winning goal once again.

At that very moment, the 28-year-old could do no wrong in the eyes of Cobblers fans as he finished the season with 11 goals and nine assists.

Holmes' performances earned him a League Two Player of the Season nomination and although he didn't receive the award on the night, had he played more than half the season, there is almost no doubt he would've.

Following his move to Charlton Athletic from Northampton, Holmes won the Addicks' Player of the Season award, which left Town fans wondering how they managed to pick him up for free and Pompey chiefs wondering why they let him go for nothing.

The winger has since gone on to play for Sheffield and Oxford United before a series of injuries led to a return to Sixfields in 2020, where the club repaid the winger for his past heroics by assisting him with his rehabilitation and rewarding him with a contract.

While Holmes' second stint may be deemed unsuccessful, he has since gone on to clock up almost 100 more games with Southend and Farnborough despite his career looking all but done before returning to Cobblers.

Holmes captured the hearts of Cobblers fans and his heroics will certainly never be forgotten. Northampton and Wilder truly hit the jackpot with his capture on a free transfer.