Exeter City manager Matt Taylor has made goalkeeper Scott Brown his second signing of the summer, although the experienced shot-stopper is coming to the club to kick-start his coaching career.
The 36-year-old shot-stopper was released by Port Vale at the end of the season, despite not missing a league game of the Valiants in the last three seasons. In total, he made 144 appearances for Vale and was their player of the year at the end of the 2017/18 season.
Prior to that, Brown spent ten years between the posts at Cheltenham Town and also had spells with Aberdeen and Wycombe Wanderers. He has made over 500 appearances throughout his career, but is coming to St James Park as a coach, first and foremost, but will also register as a player so he can play if required.
"Scott has played over 500 matches in the Football League and is really experienced,” Taylor said.
"He will work with our host of goalkeepers, but will be signed a player if needed. As we've seen in the last couple of seasons, we've had some dramatic injuries to our goalkeepers so it will be nice to have that back up at short notice, and it allows us to stay away from the emergency loan market.
"He will be a really great addition to the coaching staff. He will pass on so much knowledge to our younger players and input everything he has learnt over his career.
"He will take part in set piece defending, taking pressure off other coaches, and provide some new ideas to the coaching department.”
Taylor has made it clear that he wants to sign at least one goalkeeper this summer with Reading’s Jokull Andresson still top of his wish-list.
The 19-year-old Icelander became a popular figure at St James Park after initially arriving on an emergency loan deal. When ‘first choice’ goalkeepers Lewis Ward and Jonny Maxted were both fit again, he returned to the Royals, but after Ward expressed a wish to join Portsmouth, Exeter acted swiftly to bring him back to Devon for the remainder of the campaign.
In total, Andresson made 23 appearances, but impressed with his presence and how vocal he was. It remains to be seen if he returns to Exeter on loan, but it is a deal that Taylor would like to pull off if possible.
The Grecians are also hoping that Academy graduate Harry Lee will commit his future to the club, where he could potentially be fighting it out to be number two for next season.
The 15-year-old spent time on the bench in 2020/21 due to injuries, but is highly thought of at St James Park and elsewhere, having had trials at Chelsea and Everton.
Taylor feels his future is best served with Exeter, though, and the appointment of Brown as a specialised goalkeeper coach can only help with his development, as well as fellow glovesman Jack Arthur, who signed his first professional contract last month.
"My focus is on the other goalkeepers and helping them as best as they can,” Brown said after joining the Grecians. “I've been fortunate in my career to work with some fantastic goalkeeping coaches and managers and hopefully I can bring in a little bit of everything they've taught me.
"The manager and coaching staff are all pulling in the same direction when it comes to developing players, but also themselves as coaches. That really excites me.
"I'm really looking forward to working with our young talented goalkeepers. I have met them both this morning and they are both fantastic lads. I am really looking forward to getting down and working with them because they are both really talented goalies and if I can help them a small bit along the way, then great.”
