Midfielder Adshead is Town’s first new signing
DANIEL Adshead has become Cheltenham Town’s first new signing of the summer. The 20-year-old arrives on a twoyear deal from Norwich City for an undisclosed fee and has already joined his new teammates for preseason training.
Adshead started his career at Rochdale, where he progressed through the ranks and made his debut in the EFL Trophy at just 16 years and 17 days old, becoming the club’s youngest-ever player.
His potential attracted interest from a host of elite teams including Barcelona and Bayern Munich and all of the Premier League’s big six.
“We’ve been chasing Dan since last November,” said Cheltenham’s director of football Micky Moore.
“We were hoping to do a deal in January but he picked up an injury while at Gillingham, so we didn’t think it was the right time then.
“We have continued to monitor him since then and I’m really happy that we have been able to get him.”
Adshead, from Manchester, joined Norwich in the summer of 2019 and spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Dutch second-tier club Telstar.
He was then loaned to League One Gillingham at the start of last season and scored in their penalty shoot-out defeat by Cheltenham in the EFL Cup at Priestfield.
An injury cut short his time with the Gills and he returned to Norwich to rehabilitate in February after 15 appearances in the third tier.
Adshead has represented England at Under-18 and Under-19 level.
“Dan is technically very good with great energy and gets around the park very well,” said Moore.
“He is quite slight – a similar build to Callum Wright – good on the ball and will add quality to the midfield. He can attack or play deeper, so can do different jobs in that midfield area for us.”
Cheltenham’s recruitment is continuing as normal while they also search for a new head coach following Michael Duff’s departure to Barnsley and a second new face is due in this week.
“We work on player recruitment constantly and sometimes it can be a process that takes weeks or months, so we have been in discussions with these players for some time,” Moore said. “Recruitment will continue despite Michael’s departure and it will be similar to the short period between Gary Johnson’s departure and Michael’s appointment when we brought in a couple of new players.
“The profile of players is still the same and even with the new head coach coming in, we will still be recruiting for the same profile.”
That recruitment process will need to find two goalkeepers after Owen Evans’ move to Walsall was finalised yesterday.
Evans was transfer-listed at the end of last season, while veteran Scott Flinders was released.
Interviews for Duff’s replacement have started and the club hope to make an appointment ahead of the opening friendly at Evesham United on Saturday, July 2.