Simon Grayson: I won't sign players for Fleetwood Town just because they are talented

Town’s head coach will use his experience and contacts in the game to verify the characters of potential signings and ensure they will fit in at the club.

Grayson made his only signing so far on his first day at Highbury on February 1, when midfielder Dan Batty arrived on a short-term deal which has been extended to cover the next two seasons.

Boss Grayson has also committed to a longer-term deal, meaning the 51-year-old has a whole summer to bolster his squad for the play-off push he is targeting next season.

He said: “I’ve spoken to a couple of players last week. But before I’d even spoken to them, I’d spoken to players who had played in the same team as them, maybe a manager that’s been above them and people behind the scenes as well.

“That’s down to my due diligence that I want to know what they’re like as people and also as characters in the dressing room.

“We want the right types at this football club.

“We can all go through the tools you use to watch players and see what their abilities are like – how many times they cross the ball, how many times they win headers etc...

“But ultimately, it’s a feel that you get for a player when you meet them but also the background work that you do on them as well.

“It helps you over the course of a season because if you get one bad player it could be detrimental to another 18 or 19 players you’ve got in the group.”

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