Shrewsbury Town sign Ousmane Fane on free transfer

The Frenchman linked up with Sam Ricketts' squad ahead of tonight's EFL Trophy knockout tie against Manchester City's under-21s, in which he made the bench.

He has penned a deal until the end of the season and Town have an option to extend that a further 12 months.

Fane, 26 this month, moved to English football with Kidderminster Harriers in 2016 before impressing enough to earn a move to League One Oldham.

The 6ft4in defensive midfielder spent three season at Boundary Park, appearing in the third tier, where he made 91 appearances in all competitions.

But he suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle in July 2018 and has not played competitively since. Fane was released by Oldham at the end of last season.

“He’s someone we have taken an opportunity on," Town chief Ricketts said. "We will see how he is after his injury and take it from there really. He has played a lot of games and he’s a real athletic midfielder. He can run all day and brings something different to the team.

“The best thing is, we don’t have to wait until January, he can come straight in. He’s a very disruptive midfielder and will stop the opposition playing. He can get around the pitch well and he’s someone who not many players will relish playing against.

“You always want competition for places, he comes in and adds to that. Players who are playing well will have to keep playing well. We have players itching to play and that pushes everyone.”