YORK City have signed central defender Matty Brown.

Formerly of FC Halifax Town, the 6ft 4in 30-year-old brings National League experience to the back line, having won promotion to the fifth tier in 2017 and spent the majority of his career at Step 1.

Brown is expected to be available for Saturday’s game at Notts County.

Manager Steve Watson said: “He has been captain of a very good club for the past four seasons, took them to the play-offs last year - probably unexpectedly from the start of the season.

“Physically he is very dominant, dominant vocally as well but, apart from that, a very good footballer. I very rarely sign players who can’t handle the ball.

"He’s actually a very good passer of the ball as well which suits the way we always try and play.”

Brown made 139 appearances over four seasons with the Shaymen and, prior to that, spent time at Chester and Chesterfield in League Two.

Watson continued: “By his very nature and speaking to him and spending a bit of time with him, he considers that - whether he’s wearing an armband or not - he’s going to be a leader on the pitch.

“From my point of view, as many as those you can bring into your squad are going to be helpful.

“As we speak, we have a really good squad of lads. Forget the fact they are all really good players, we have a good bunch and they have integrated well as people. We still need to, and we have got time for this, click a little more as a team.

“Stockport - we played against a team who are potentially going to be favourites or second favourites to win the league and we immediately stepped up and I saw improvement and a lot more to be cheerful about.

“Obviously missing a goal - a goal or a couple of goals would have been great but we know we have the players that can do that. We are a lot closer and I’m a lot happier speaking to you this Monday than maybe I was last Monday.”

The signing of Brown brings first-team squad numbers up to 25, with nine primary defenders in the team competing for places.

Watson added: “We’ve got lots of senior players vying for places which is really good and really healthy.

“There’s going to be so many games this season coming thick and fast - Saturday, Tuesday, without a doubt as usually happens in this league - winter games postponed. By the end of the season, you will find around three games a week so you need as much quality as you can around the place.

“He’s a new member of the squad who is going to improve our options and that is all we can try and do.”

Watson went on to speak about the younger options in the team, after Ryan Whitley was loaned to Scarborough Athletic on a deal until January, with others set to follow suit.

Watson added: “It will give us chance to, as we did at the end of the season, send some of the younger ones out to get some games.

“It’s part of their learning process and what we are trying to do is get the youth side of things closer and build a better link going forward. For two, three or four of them their next stage is to go out and play games.

“I spoke to two or three of them today and in fairness they asked if they could [go on loan] because they know where they are at and the only way for them to improve is to go and play men's football and they are willing to do that.

“When you put them in that equation and do that with them then you probably are only talking about maybe 20 players that will be in and around my thoughts on a weekly basis for the league especially.”

The deal is subject to FA and National League approval.