(Picture: Action Images via Reuters)
By Matt Bishop
Paul Cox has continued to put his stamp on the Guiseley squad by welcoming three new players to the club.
Since he took over as Lions manager at the start of September, the former Barrow boss has signed Simon Lenighan, Lewis Freestone, Mike Fondop-Talom and Andy Haworth.
Cox has now added French defenders Jean-Yves Koue Niate and Chris M’Boungou, along with South African born full-back Darren Holden, to the Lions squad as they attempt to pull clear of the National League relegation zone.
Most comfortable at centre-back, 24-year-old Parisian Koue Niate can also play at full-back and has represented the likes of Reims, Turnhout and Cannes in his homeland before a trial at Dundee United brought him to Britain.
More recently, he has valuable gained non-league experience having played for Oxford City, Solihull Moors and Ebbsfleet.
M’Boungou, 25, is another arrival that will strenghten Guiseley’s centre of defence. He was born in Noisy-le-Grand, and played for Auxerre and Cannes in France before spells at Staines Town, Bishop’s Stortford and St Albans City led him to Whitehawk last term.
Left-back Holden, 24, joins Guiseley from West Auckland, after starting his career in the north-east with Hartlepool United. He played 58 times for Pools after making his debut in 2012, before moving to the SPL with Ross County in 2015.
After a spell with Gateshead in 2016, the 6ft 5ins full-back joined Jarrow Roofing and then South Shields.
All three signings are available for tomorrow’s FA Cup clash against Shildon, where a place in the first round proper is up for grabs.
Catch up with all the weekend’s FA Cup Fourth Round Qualifying action in Sunday’s @NonLeaguePaper.
