Jimmy Quinn has added another new face to the squad by prising influential defender Wayne Hatswell away from Rushden & Diamonds.

United have paid an undisclosed fee for the left-footed centre-back, and he has signed a deal to 2010.

"Wayne is as good a defender as you'll get at our level and we're very fortunate to be able to bring him here," enthused Quinn of his latest signing, who has weighed in with 19 goals in his 309 league appearances.

"He's a left-footer, so he'll bring us some balance in that department, and he's a very experienced player who's been there and done it in this league and in League Two.

"He's been playing particularly well for Rushden, and he played against us a few weeks ago and was very strong at the back," added the manager. "He's a threat in both boxes so it's another string to our bow, and he has the right kind of experience that will be invaluable to us between now and the end of the season.

"He's a very good acquisition and we're getting a lot of very good experience. In our league you need to battle and scrap and I wish I'd had him last night at Histon, that's for sure!"

The Swindon-born 32-year-old began his professional career at Forest Green Rovers before a £35,000 move to Oxford in December 2000, and he spent two seasons there before joining Chester City, where he scored in a play-off semi-final in 2003.

Joining League Two side Kidderminster Harriers in October 2003, he spent two-and-a-half seasons there and became the Harriers captain, but they were relegated out of the Football League in 2005. In a cost-cutting exercise he was allowed to join Rushden & Diamonds in January 2006 for an undisclosed fee as they looked to bolster their struggling squad.

Although he was unable to avoid a second successive relegation to the Conference, Wayne has become a key member of the Diamonds team and last month he was included with Mark Peters in the nominations for December's Blue Square Player of the Month, after scoring twice for his team last month.

He could be joined in the squad by Accrington Stanley striker Lee McEvilly, who is due at the club on Friday morning and is expected to sign on loan to the end of the season.

On Wednesday, Quinn completed the signing of Bedford Town's highly-regarded young midfielder Ben Farrell [article].

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