Stockport County: Bold transfer swoop is worth the risk on evidence so far - View | OneFootball

It has proved to be a masterstroke despite going against club policy

Stockport County were already strong contenders for the best transfer operators this summer before landing former Sheffield United midfielder Ollie Norwood.

So capturing a player who made 27 Premier League appearances in the previous season didn't harm their reputation.

While it stands in clear difference to the type of signings the Hatters have made this season, it looks like the club may have pulled off a masterstroke.

It goes to show that sometimes rules are there to be broken, even if they’re your own rules.

Hatters bend their policy

In interviews with club media at the end of last season, owner Mark Stott and director of football Simon Wilson confirmed that County were going young with their signings, picking up players that could have substantial resale value, and not offering older players extended deals.

In action, it’s a policy that saw the likes of Paddy Madden and Antoni Sarcevic depart and younger prospects like Jack Diamond and Lewis Bate arrive.

So some heads were turned when Norwood and former Newcastle United man Dwight Gayle turned up in pre-season for a trial.

There will have been even greater shock when the 33-year-old Norwood was announced as County’s latest signing, signing a three-year deal.

Despite that, those inside the club were over the moon with the deal, and a little surprised that they’d managed it at all.

Norwood looks worth it

The feedback, despite that shock, was overwhelmingly positive from County fans, who were delighted to be adding some real top-level experience to their ranks.

There were some who questioned the move given the loud implementation of a more youth-orientated transfer policy, but seeing a smooth midfield operator pull on your club’s shirt is a quick way to remedy any fears.

Norwood has turned out twice for County in League One, both for the full 90, and has been one of the best players on the field in both encounters.

Sitting a bit deeper in the midfield, the former Blades man can use his range of passing to dictate the tempo of the game, start attacks, slow the game down, speed it back up. Whatever’s needed in the game, Norwood can do it calmly from his midfield base.

There were fears that, with a host of new recruits, the Hatters may be overflowing with talent and gasping for experience. Norwood adds both, and his know-how will surely rub off on his team-mates.

The one point of criticism in this deal was the length of his deal.

Three years is a long time in football, a long time in League One, and a long time for a 33-year-old midfielder.

However, without that length of deal, Norwood probably takes a shorter offer in the Championship; he’s certainly still capable.

Early signs also suggest that fitness will not be the same concern it is for others in his age range. Straight out of pre-season, he’s completed two full 90s in the league and even played the full game against Accrington Stanley in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy; a competition often reserved for those trying to break into the side.

In short, there seems to be no concern that ‘his legs have gone’.

Time will tell if that contract becomes an issue as Norwood’s 36th birthday rolls around, but right now, based on the start he’s had, County making an exception to their own transfer policy looks like a masterstroke in this case.