Simon Cox strolled into the club this week with a swagger promising goals and comparing himself to Teddy Sherringham and Super-Kevin Phillips. The confident 22-year-old hit-man almost single-handedly kept his old club Swindon in League One last term smashing 32 goals for the Robins.
Now as Cox starts a new chapter in his football career, WBA-MAD spoke our Swindon counterpart to see exactly what we’re going to get for an initial £1.4 million.
“I think that if he plays like he did at Swindon you will be selling him on for £5m+ in a couple of years,” Swindon-Mad Editor, Tim Bennett, said.
“He's an out-and-out goal scorer. Most of Cox's goals were close range. He's and old fashioned goal poacher who will wait for his chance and just go for it. I can't remember any 40 yard goals, although with 32 goals in a season it's hard to remember them all.
“He might not touch the ball for most of the game, but will still get a hat trick.
“His main attributes are that he sees a chance and goes for it. Maybe he’s a bit selfish at times, but that's often what you need.”
The former Reading striker left The Madjeski Stadium in search of first-team football joining Brentford, Northampton and Swindon on loan before completing a deadline day switch to The County Ground in January 2008.
After sealing his switch to Swindon and scoring 8 goals in 19 appearances, Cox went to be a revelation last season with Bennett confident the free-scoring forward can step up to the Championship and finally on to the Premier League.
“I think the Championship is a good move up for him,” Tim continued.
“You don't want to have him play straight into the Premier League and for him to find he goes from being the best to just average and that ruins him for the rest of career. Another couple of years and he should be in the Premier League.”