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Meanwhile the far more experienced Paul Murray, 32, has moved to Shropshire on a two-year deal after his contract with SPL crisis club Gretna expired. The midfielder one of many players who will be leaving the Borderers outfit over the next few weeks.
Simpson is delighted with his first two new signings of the summer, the ex-Carlisle manager commenting :
"They are two different type of players, Paul is an excellent player and had a really good season in difficult times for his club. He is exactly the type of character we are looking for. He has got experience, he's a leader and the type to dig you out of a situation if things aren't going well.
"There were clubs from a higher level after him and when I first spoke to him, he said he didn't want to drop any lower than League One. But he saw the ground and wants to help us achieve what everybody wants. Stephen is a fantastic talent with good pace and good ability. I've known him since he was 14 and know what he's capable of.
"He now has to go and prove - to himself, not to anyone else - that he has the mentality and temperament to be a professional footballer. It's a big move for him because he's moving away from his family for the first time. There are things to improve on and he's already had a couple of ear-bashings from me."