Harrogate Town signing Miles Welch-Hayes is a 'gritty defender and a superb athlete', says manager Simon Weaver

Three hours after Nathan Sheron's move to Oldham Athletic was confirmed, the Sulphurites announced the arrival of another versatile defender in Welch-Hayes.

The 25-year-old will wear the No 2 shirt and can play at right-back but he is also comfortable in the centre of defence.

Importantly, in an era of attacking full-backs and ball-playing central defenders, the Oxford-born player actually enjoys defending too.

“We’ve seen a lot of him at Colchester and watching him I thought he was a gritty defender and a superb athlete," said Weaver.

“His attitude to defending was really refreshing, he wants to defend and enjoys defending, he’s hard to beat. That’s what we want to be as a team, he’s going to play an important part in that.

“We conceded too many goals last season to be successful, we have to try and learn our lessons and to do that we need the likes of Miles to come in.”

Harrogate let in 75 League Two goals last season, with only bottom-of-the-table Scunthorpe United more generous.

Having made his debut for Oxford United as a 19-year-old, Welch-Hayes then had loan spells with Bath City and Oxford City before moving permanently to Mansfield Town in 2018. Two years there were followed by two more at Layer Road, where he made 50 league appearances for Colchester, helping them to avoid relegation last season.