Stoke City loanee Lewis Macari has joined us on a permanent basis, signing a contract until the end of the 2026-27 season.
The 21-year-old defender has shown huge promise since initially arriving on loan in August, his most memorable moment so far being his stunning match-winner at Gillingham on his EFL debut.
And Richard Montague, who sits on our board and leads on player recruitment, is delighted the club have secured Macari’s long-term services.
He said: “While we’re excited about Lewis’ potential, we should also acknowledge the fact he has already proven himself capable of performing for us at League Two level.
“We value his versatility, with him being comfortable at centre back as well as out wide, and his character and personality are exactly what we’re looking for.
“He’s someone who we feel can grow with the club over the duration of his contract and we’re excited to see what the future holds for him.”
Head coach Luke Williams also sees Macari’s permanent signing as a hugely positive move.
He said: “I’m really pleased to have someone with Lewis’ characteristics in the squad.
“I’ve been impressed with his courage, concentration and bravery in and out of possession. He also has a natural intensity and, having grown up with football in his family, seems to understand things on a higher level than other young players might.
“On the pitch he also carries a little bit of fear, which is brilliant for defenders to have in their footballing DNA as it enables them to sense and react quickly to danger.
“We have to remember he’s a young player with only a few games under his belt, so there’ll be times when he’s not in our starting line-up.
“But he has the hunger required to make a really good career for himself.”
Macari added: “I’m buzzing. Even when I wasn’t making the squad in the first few weeks, I was telling friends and family how much I was loving it here and how I couldn’t wait to play.
“Probably after the Gillingham goal, I knew I wanted to stay. This club’s on the up and I wanted to be someone who could help take it forward. I feel properly part of the team now and I’m really happy to be staying permanently.
“I’d been at Stoke a long time, and I can’t thank everyone there enough for everything they’ve done for me, but the time has come to move away and take my first proper steps into men’s football.
“I know I’ve got to kick on from here now.”