NEW Morton goalkeeper Sam Ramsbottom has revealed incoming goalkeeping coach Dave Timmins played a big role in his move to Sinclair Street.

The duo were announced by the club on Thursday along with ex-Gateshead player Cameron Salkeld, with both players signing one-year deals.

Ramsbottom joins after leaving National League North side Alfreton Town, while Timmins departed Blackpool and has agreed a three-year contract with the Greenock side.

The 23-year-old Ramsbottom worked with Timmins, inset, previously at Tranmere Rovers for several years in their youth set up, and said his old coach recommended to David Hopkin they should sign him up.

The shot-stopper can’t wait to get started, saying he wants to kick on after returning to full-time football with his Cappielow switch.

He started out his career at Rovers, before moving to Irish side Galway for

one season.

A brief stint at Barrow followed, before he earned a move to Macclesfield Town.

But Ramsbottom only made a handful of appearances for the Silkmen.

He told the Tele: “I met the manager and we had a sit down and chat about how he wants us to play, and how he wants to build the club.

“He explained it was going through a bit of a transition period at the moment and they’re doing it up a bit.

“The goalkeeper coach is a pal of mine. When I signed for Tranmere when I was 16 to go full time he was the goalkeeper coach there for about four years until I left.

“He was the one that told me he was taking the job up here and I was really interested.

“He rated Morton highly, and he’s going to be pushing me further and I want to do some good things.

“I was playing part-time with Alfreton last season, before that I had been full-time with Tranmere Rovers and Macclesfield, and over in Ireland with Galway.

“I’m here to play games and that’s what I want to achieve and hopefully take the club forward.”

It wasn’t just Timmins’ recommendation Ramsbottom listened to.

Several old friends playing in Scotland also endorsed a move north of the border for the Englishman.

The goalkeeper has only been to Scotland once before, when he was briefly on trial with Hibernian over four years ago, but he’s looking forward to getting started at Ton.

He added: “I’ve only been up to Edinburgh before. I was on trial with Hibernian when I was 19/20.

“I had some friends who played up here, Owain Fon Williams who has just left Inverness and Craig Curran who is at Dundee.

“I spoke to them about what the level was like up here and they only had good things to say.”