DEAN KEATES is delighted to have brought a “freshness” to his full-back options at Wrexham.

Keates followed up the signing of left-back Jamie Reckord with the capture of right-back Reece Hall-Johnson on Monday.

With the likes of James Jennings and Jazzi Barnum-Bobb having left The Racecourse earlier this summer, Reds boss Keates knew what he wanted from any potential new signings at full-back.

“It’s something that needed looking at, something that needed addressing,” said Keates when asked about the need for quick, dynamic full-backs.

“No disrespect to anyone who was at the club, things hadn’t gone stale, but there was a hangover from the play-offs the season before and there was a need for freshness in that position.

“Recks has worked his socks off since he’s been here. With JJ (Jennings) opting to move on I looked at the list I’d compiled and what the options were. It was great to get my first choice onboard.

“Reece was in this week. I met Reece, who was happy to travel anywhere in the country to meet me, which says a lot about him.

“As a character he’s level-headed. I did the usual background checks and got the opinions of those that had worked with him before.

“He’s had a good upbringing at Norwich and then gone on to play men’s football. He knows what non-league football is all about and he was most recently at Northampton, where he was on the outside of a group that were flying.

“He’s a good age and was part of a group at Northampton who got promoted. He didn’t play as much as he would have wanted, but he wants to establish himself with us by playing week in, week out.”

Keates, who has made five new signings ahead of the 2020/21 National League campaign with Jordan Davies, Jordan Ponticelli and Elliott Durrell joining Reckord and Hall-Johnson at The Racecourse, hopes to have further additions to his squad by the end of the week.

“I’m optimistic there will be one or two more in over the next few days,” said Keates prior to signing Davies. “But I won’t count my chickens until they’ve hatched.

“Until they are sitting next to you having put pen-to-paper, it’s all up in the air.”

Keates, meanwhile, believes out of contract players will start deciding on their futures as the October start date gets closer.

“We have just come back, a few have been back weeks before us and a few have not even come back yet,” added Keates.

“A lot of players accustomed to this level will be assessing their options and Football League players who have not got anything yet are still trying to see if they can play at the highest level possible.

“We are just waiting and the ones that do come in, we have to make sure that they are the right ones for this football club.”