Swindon Town are delighted to announce the arrival of vastly experienced defender Ben Purkiss, who will officially join the club on July 1st subject to EFL and FA approval.
The 33-year-old joins the Reds on a free transfer following his departure from Port Vale and will join up with his new team-mates for pre-season training this week.
Starting his career with Sheffield United in 2003, the right-back has racked up over 400 appearances for the likes of York City, Walsall and Port Vale.
Known for his leadership abilities, Purkiss wore the captain’s armband for the Valiants last season and he will bring considerable experience to the Town dressing room.
Town boss Dave Flitcroft wants all of his players to share the same vision going forward and Purkiss revealed that it was a no-brainer to make SN1 his new home.
“I’m delighted to have signed here,” he told swindontownfc.co.uk exclusively.
“When the assistant (Ben Futcher) first reached out to me and asked what I was doing, I was really keen to explore the opportunity and after coming down to speak to the gaffer and Futch, there was only one place I wanted to sign.
“First and foremost, the gaffer and his assistant have got a track record of success in this league and I’ve played against their teams in the league above.
“I know what they are about and they are driven, they are winners, they know how to win and they have a good track record of winning.
“That determination and drive will most certainly be there from the gaffer and his assistant and we need to get that from the players.
“That’s why I’m here. I’m here to have a successful season with one target in mind.
“The target this season will be to get promoted. There will be a lot of teams in the league who will want to get promoted but there’s a difference between saying you want to get promoted and putting that into action.
“The club are showing that ambition at the moment, there has been an investment in the playing squad, there has been an investment in the manager and there’s the commitment from the gaffer and his assistant who are moving down to establish a side in their image.
“We’ll be grafting and working with that in mind.”
Purkiss has carved out a career as a right-back and he went on to outline his main qualities.
“I’ve played the majority of my career at full-back and I can play at centre-half too,” he added.
“I would like to think that I’m dynamic, I want to defend first and foremost but I also look to distribute.
“I want to start attacks, look to push forward, look to support my winger, I’m also tall so I’m strong in the air and I just like to drive the team forward.
“One of the things the gaffer saw was my drive and determination to do well and to prove a few people wrong after a season at Port Vale where we didn’t achieve what we wanted to.
“I’ve got a point to prove and those are the qualities that I want to bring and there’s a real determination to make sure that I have a successful season and we have a successful season.”
Purkiss becomes Town’s fourth addition of the summer following the signings of Chris Robertson, James Dunne and Paul Mullin.
LOOK OUT FOR PLENTY OF REACTION TO BEN PURKISS' ARRIVAL THROUGHOUT TONIGHT.
