Posh sign experienced defender

Tom Lees has arrived at London Road following the injury to captain Sam Hughes. 

Photo Credit : Joe Dent / Peterborough United

Who is Tom Lees?

The 34-year-old central defender has made over 650 career appearances in the EFL. 

Last season, Lees made 32 appearances in League One for Huddersfield Town who finished tenth. His contract expired this summer, with Huddersfield fans having question marks about the state of his body after the wear and tear of a long and successful career.

Lees provides experience, strong communication and good defensive positioning. His years of EFL football will have taught him all of the tricks of the trade, something that will help the other defenders at Posh. He is aerially strong, chipping in with goals from set pieces.

Where does he fit in?

Hughes is expected to be out for a number of months, leaving Posh without their skipper and one of their few vocal players. Lees’ experience can help organise Posh’s defence.

Joining on what is likely to be a short-term deal, he will be expected to have an instant impact, using his experience to try and cut out the silly defensive errors that have been made in the opening fixtures.

It is likely that Lees will be paired with either David Okagbue or Oscar Wallin, both younger, more athletic players.

They are also both relatively inexperienced, making them prone to positional errors. Having Lees to mentor the two young centre-halves could help their development.

Verdict

It’s not a signing that is going to excite anybody, but it is good to have an experienced defender through the door. 

Lees has performed consistently at Championship level, and while his body may be showing signs of slowing down, his calibre should be evident on the pitch. He has been training with us for a number of weeks, and is hopefully close to being up to speed. 

I am glad that the club have moved to sign a central defender following the Hughes injury, as I do feel that we would have been extremely short in that department had we not attempted to sign a new one.