Swindon Town Football Club are delighted to announce the signing of proven goalscorer Marc Richards on a permanent basis.
- Striker joins on a free transfer after leaving Northampton Town.
- Hitman has won promotion from Sky Bet League Two on three occasions.
- Marc has scored 187 goals in over 600 senior career appearances.
Richards has arrived at The Energy Check County Ground on a free transfer following his departure from Northampton Town by mutual consent, subject to EFL and FA approval.
The vastly experienced forward has put pen to paper on a deal that will see him remain at SN1 until the end of the 2018/19 campaign.
With three promotions from this division on his CV and with a proven track record when it comes to scoring goals, Richards' arrival represents a significant coup for the club and it gives Manager Dave Flitcroft another attacking option as he continues to plot a return to the Sky Bet League One.
Richards brings a wealth of experience with him to Wiltshire having plundered 167 goals in a career that has seen him rack up over 600 senior outings.
Joining Blackburn Rovers from Hednesford Town in 2000, he made his debut for the club under Graeme Souness in a League Cup defeat to West Ham United at Upton Park in October of that year.
"A big thing for me was to join a club that was looking for success at the end of the season and having spoken to the Manager here and a couple of players in the squad that I know, it seemed a good choice to make."
With opportunities hard to come by at Ewood Park, the striker had loan spells with Crewe Alexandra, Oldham Athletic, Halifax Town and Swansea City before joining Northampton Town on a permanent basis in 2003.
He finished his debut campaign at Sixfields with eleven goals to his name, including a four-goal haul in just one match against Macclesfield Town in March 2004.
After his second season was disrupted by injury, Richards joined forces with Barnsley in 2005 after a brief stint with Rochdale and scored twelve goals as The Tykes were promoted to the Championship via the Play-Offs.
He featured 37 times in the Championship but was soon on the move again with Port Vale his next destination, a club that proved to be the perfect platform for his goalscoring talents to really come to the fore.
Handed the Captain's Armband, Richards became a firm fans' favourite at Vale Park and was the club's leading scorer four seasons on the bounce, including hitting 22 goals in 2009/10 and 20 the following season.
Due to his goalscoring exploits, Richards was in hot demand and, after much speculation, he joined Chesterfield in May 2012 and he was part of the side that celebrated promotion to League One as Champions in 2013/14.
After rejecting a new deal, Richards opted for a return to Northampton in May 2014 and went on to score seven goals in just five games at the start of the 2014/15 campaign.
Despite his progress being halted by injury, the goal-getter soon returned to form and finished the season with eighteen goals, exploits that earned him the club's Player of the Year Award.
It only got better the following season too as Richards once again finished top scorer with eighteen goals, leading The Cobblers to the League Two Title in emphatic fashion.
Richards, who has also represented England at U18 and U20 levels, will now look to add another promotion to his CV with Town and he can't wait to get down to work with his new club.
"Being made available by Northampton I had some interest from a couple of clubs in League Two and both clubs were pushing for promotion," he told iFollow STFC exclusively.
"A big thing for me was to join a club that was looking for success at the end of the season and having spoken to the Manager here and a couple of players in the squad that I know, it seemed a good choice to make.
"Pushing for promotion is the biggest factor for myself.
"I wasn't just happy sitting on the bench at Northampton and not getting much game time, I still feel like I've got a lot to give to a team so to come here and possibly get more minutes under my belt and get back on the scoresheet is a feeling that I've missed over the last two or three months.
"To join a group that is doing really well in the league is exciting and I want to try and help them as much as possible with my experience of this league.
"I've played at League One and League Two level for most of my career, it is something that I'm used to and I've played a lot of games and scored a lot of goals, so if I can help the younger lads with my experience at this level then it can only be a positive for the team."
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