Swasea City’s Matt Grimes struggled on loan at Leeds but is rebuilding his reputation with Northampton Town in League One.
Matt Grimes’ first goal in two years was worth the wait. The Northampton Town loanee hadn’t rustled the back of the net since scoring for parent club Swansea City in a 3-0 League Cup win over York City in August 2015 – but what a way to end the draught.
A sublime left-footed free-kick from 25 yards, which clipped the post for aesthetic effect, set Northampton on their way to a crucial 2-1 win away at Gillingham on Saturday. A deserving winner of the EFL’s Goal of the Weekend award.
It’s fair to say it was the kind of match-changing individual quality that Leeds United fans wish they had seen from Grimes during an ineffective loan spell at Elland Road last season.
But dropping down a division to Northampton appears to have helped Grimes get a once promising career back on track. The former Exeter City talent, who joined Swansea in 2015 for £1.75 million per Devon Live, has been one of the standout players in a struggling Cobblers side this season.
His moment of magic against Gillingham, however, ensures that Grimes is finally getting the recognition his recent performances have warranted. And it’s fair to say the youngster has made a more positive impact on the Northampton fans than those underwhelmed Leeds supporters.
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