Cobblers bring in Portsmouth striker on loan for the rest of the season
Northampton Town have signed Portsmouth striker Michael Smith on loan for the rest of the season.
The 25 year old, 6ft 4in striker began his career with Darlington. In 2011 he attracted the interest of Charlton Athletic, with whom he signed a three year deal.
While with the Addicks he enjoyed a number of successful loan spells, scoring three times in 4 league starts plus two substitute appearances for Accrington, he scored four goals in 9 league starts for Newport County and twice in three starts for Colchester United.
A longer spell at AFC Wimbledon saw him net ten times in 25 games, before he moved to Swindon Town in January 2014 for £100,000. He scored 26 goals in seventy two appearances in a successful two and a half year stay at the County Ground.
After a loan spell with Barnsley in the first part of 2015/16 he moved to Portsmouth on loan in February 2016, scoring four times in sixteen games as Pompey made the League 2 play offs, and he made the move to Fratton Park permanent for an undisclosed fee last summer.
So far this season he has scored six times in seventeen starts and four substitute appearances for Pompey in a career that has seen him score sixty one goals in 160 starts with a further forty nine substitute appearances.
"I worked with Michael at Newport so I know all about his qualities,” said manager Justin Edinburgh.
"While I have been really pleased with how we have looked an attacking threat in the last couple of games, with the recent injuries to Sam Hoskins and Alex Revell, I felt we needed another option up front particularly with some Saturday-Tuesday games in the coming weeks and Michael is ideal for us.
"He is a good size, he has a good goalscoring record and he has an excellent work ethic.
"He works very hard for the team, he can lead the line well but he is also very good with the ball at his feet.
"His signing gives us a good group of strikers for the final three months of the season, I think they balance each other well and give us some good options, both in terms of starting games and from the bench.
“This has always been a tough window to do business in, but I think we have added quality with the six additions. The Chairman said there would be funds available when I came here and I am pleased we have been able to strengthen the squad for the remainder of the season.”