INTERVIEWS: Marriott could be the next Mackail-Smith

Striker Jack Marriott, a team-mate of Mackail-Smith at Luton, signed a four-year contract yesterday (June 28) after the clubs agreed a ‘substantial fee’.

Former Ipswich youngster Marriott will now battle it out for a first-team start up front with Ricky Miller, Junior Morias and Tom Nichols.

Posh manager Grant McCann was delighted to have finally signed a player he tried to capture last season.

“It’s a coup for us as Championship clubs were after him,” McCann stated. “He is like a young Mackail-Smith in terms of his energy and his pace which enables him to run in behind defenders.

“That is something we missed last season. I’m delighted to have him on board and I thank those who made it happen.”

Marriott was in and out of a Luton side that lost in the League Two play-off semi-finals last season. He still managed to score 12 goals.

The 22-year-old was Luton’s player-of-the-season in 2015-16 when he netted 16 goals.

Marriott is confident he can take the step up in standard in his stride.

“I have a great feeling about this club,” Marriott, who yesterday flew out to Spain with the rest of the first-team squad for a pre-season training camp, said.

“It feels like the right move. I had other options, but once I spoke to the manager about how he wants to play football and about his ambitions, and after speaking to Craig Mackail-Smith, I was always going to come here.

“Craig only had good things to say about the club and we are very similar players.

“I had an in-and-out season with Luton last season for whatever reason, but I still managed to score goals.

“I have to be happy with what I achieved at Luton because it’s earned me a move to a club with a great record of developing young strikers. I have a lot of improvement in me and I want to hit the ground running.

“I just want to play regularly now and I will try and earn that right. I believe I can score goals for this team.”

Chairman Darragh MacAnthony revealed he has paid good money for a player rated by all at his club.

MacAnthony said: “We tried to first sign Jack at the end of last season so delighted to bring him to club. He’s 22, quick, knows where the goal is. He is an excellent addition to the squad. We have paid a substantial fee for him.”

Mackail-Smith scored his 100th Posh goal last season. He’s one of only four players to reach that landmark for Posh.

League One clubs have made 84 signings between them since the end of the 2016-17 season. Bury (9) have signed the most, followed by Northampton (7).

Southend have yet to make any signings according to the BBC (as of 6pm, June 28).

Bradford City, losing play-off semi-finalists last season, signed former Posh striker Paul Taylor earlier this week.

League One signings so far: 9 – Bury; 7 – Northampton; 6 – Plymouth; 5 – Blackpool, POSH, Shrewsbury; 4 – AFC Wimbledon, Doncaster, Gillingham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Walsall; 3- Blackburn, Charlton, Fleetwood, Oxford, Scunthorpe; 2 – Bradford City, Oldham, Wigan; 1 – Bristol Rovers, MK Dons, Portsmouth; 0- Southend.