Dean Beckwith says that it did not take him long to make up his mind to join Northampton Town once he spoke to boss Stuart Gray.

"The set up is good here, it's a nice stadium and once I'd met the Gaffer it was an easy decision for me to sign," he said.

"I had three very good years at Hereford, last season obviously didn't go too well for anyone at the club and I just felt that I needed a change. I wanted to move back down South as well because I've got family near London so that was a big factor as well.

"It's a great move for me, I'm going to be happy coming in every day and I just can't wait to get started.

"I don't think I've got anything to prove to Hereford; I'm confident I can perform at this level and even though last season didn't go to plan I've benefited from the experience of playing in League One.

"League Two is a very difficult division to get out of, there are tough games in every league but especially so in League Two where every game is a battle. There are some teams who like to get the ball down and play as we do but we are ready for the battle.

"I was surprised that Northampton went down last year but I think the squad here is good and there is definitely enough quality in the squad to get us out of League Two.

"Steve Guinan has got bags of experience and he had a very good season last year. We didn't really create too many chances for him at Hereford but to score 15 goals for a team that got relegated was a good achievement.

"He's a goalscorer, he leads the line well and I'm sure he will bring a lot to the team.

"As a centre half I am quite strong in the air but I like to get the ball down and play. The Gaffer has seen me play a few times before and he said he was impressed with the way I played.

"I want to get back to how I was playing a couple of years ago, the club's expectation is to get promoted and I want to try and get Northampton back up to League One.

"I know I need to score goals, I only scored one goal last season and I know that scoring goals from set plays is something I really need to work on. I would love to score 5 or 6 goals this season and that is the target I'm aiming for.

"I scored on the opening day of last season against Leyton Orient and it would be nice to score against Macclesfield in front of the home fans but the most important thing is for us just to win the game and if we do that it doesn't really matter who scores.

"I think pre-season is going to be quite tough but you expect that. It's a fresh start for me here but you know what pre-season is all about and these days you have got to keep yourself fit during the break. It's a lot more professional now and I think players probably look after themselves a lot more."