Warrington Town re-sign goalkeeper Daniel Atherton

Goalkeeper Dan Atherton has been confirmed as Yellows’ second new signing of the summer and, like winger Matty Grivosti before him, returns for a second spell at Cantilever Park.

The 23-year-old shot-stopper played the full 90 minutes of Tuesday’s pre-season victory at Prescot Cables as a trialist, but he has now signed on the dotted line for Town’s first ever National League North campaign.

Atherton played as a trialist against Prescot on Tuesday (Image: Sean Walsh)

Atherton was a key part of the Yellows squad that reached the 2021-22 Northern Premier League Premier Division play-off final before losing to Scarborough Athletic.

He played in every league game and saved two shoot-out penalties during the dramatic play-off semi-final win at South Shields that season.

The former Liverpool man then left to join Welsh side TNS before quickly moving on to Hyde United, where he featured twice against Town last season.

Now, he returns to Cantilever Park to provide competition for Tony Thompson between the sticks.

"I spoke to him in the summer, and he wants to come in and be around us,” manager Mark Beesley said.

“He turned down opportunities at other clubs to try and get in our team, which you can only commend.

"Tony is our number one because he was so good last year, but it's up to the two of them to fight it out and put pressure on each other.

"It'll only enhance us as a club to have two goalkeepers of that quality.

“We like to have competition for places, which we feel is important throughout the team, and the goalkeepers are no different.”