We all knew at the end of last season that Peterborough United wanted to have a complete make-over of the playing staff but surely no one would’ve expected 18 players leaving and seventeen players arriving!
Player number seventeen has just arrived at the ABAX Stadium and he is another to bolster the Scottish contingent of the squad.
Right-back Darren Lyon has made the switch from the Scottish Premiership, where he played for Hamilton Academicals, to try his hand in the EFL just as current Posh right-back Jason Naismith decided to do earlier in the summer. The two will now battle it out for the right-back position although the latest recruit can also play on the right side of midfield.
Although Lyon will provide competition for that right-back position, Naismith arrived with a big reputation and the potential of being a Scotland International in the future. He has certainly started the season strongly and has impressed many people with both his defensive qualities and his attacking prowess which was evident as early as the first minute of the opening match of the season when he put a pinpoint cross in for Matty Godden to open the scoring.
Lyon though started his career in the Rangers youth system. Before making an appearance for the big Glasgow club, he made the move to the Accies in February 2014 to get game time, making one appearance during the short amount of time that was left that season which culminated in promotion from the Scottish Championship. He has had four seasons in the Scottish Premiership but has only made about 60 appearances during those four years, so he hasn’t been a regular started although almost half those appearances did occur last season.
Lyon wasn’t happy with how he was developing at the Accies so he agreed to cancel his contract and try his luck south of the border as Posh boss Steve Evans confirmed to the Official Posh website: “Darren chose to leave Hamilton even though he had two years left to run at the club, he wasn’t happy with how he was developing and progressing at the club.”
The 23-year-old, who has been training with the club over the last week, came to the attention of Evans when he was at Rangers and has kept his eye on him ever since.
“Darren is full of energy, he put in some good performances and is very comfortable at right-back or right wing back and those are his premier positions, but he can also operate as a midfielder.”
There are players that could fill in at right-back and with the club only having three central defenders, it was expected that Posh were going to bring in a fourth one so it comes as a bit of surprise that they have signed a right-back.
