Stockport County took positive lessons from this Scunthorpe United gift | OneFootball

It was an inspired deal struck by the Hatters in hindsight

Stockport County will forever be thankful to Scunthorpe United for the free transfer of Myles Hippolyte in January 2022.

At the time, Scunthorpe were in League Two and the Hatters were a division below in the National League.

Hippolyte had been deemed surplus to requirements by manager Keith Hill, so found a new home at Edgeley Park midway through the season.

He went on to be an important figure for County, not only contributing at the time but also providing a vital lesson that the Hatters will do well to remember in this window.

Hippolyte deal was a dream for County

Hippolyte signed on a free in January 2022, despite almost certainly having time left to run on his deal at Scunthorpe, as Hill felt it was the right time to dispense with his services.

Speaking to the club website, Hill said: "It's a good move for Myles, he's gone to a club that's upwardly mobile and expected to win the National League.

"It's a great opportunity for Myles, but it gives me the opportunity to get the players in that I want to get in and having assessed the squad I think it was the right decision for everybody, including Myles."

Packaged fairly positively, it was clear Hill didn’t want Hippolyte, potentially because he felt he wasn’t up to the level required.

But getting a player like Hippolyte on a free, in the middle of the season, proved to be a dream for County, an absolute gift from Scunthorpe.

The winger made an incredible impression in Stockport

The Grenada international made a strong early impression at Edgeley Park, showing adaptability to play in a number of different positions, become a regular fixture of the side and even picking up a few goals, as the club marched towards the National League title.

A season later, now back in League Two with his new side, Hippolyte became a key member of the squad, making 44 appearances, 33 from the start, and registering seven goal involvements, again from a variety of positions.

The now-30-year-old became a fan favourite at Edgeley Park, and likely would have had an even greater impact had it not been for injury.

From it seeming like he wasn’t up to fourth-tier football with Scunthorpe, Hippolyte had proven himself a vital part of a promotion-chasing team in the division just months later.

The move taught County a vital lesson

Not only was it a great January deal at the time, but it is one that should also guide future business.

Players struggling to make an impact at a club near the bottom of the table in the division above are never going to be the most attractive prospects for your club on paper, but Hippolyte is living proof that sometimes it can be as simple as moving clubs to unlock a player’s full potential.

Since the club have embarked on a journey even further up the divisions, and Hippolyte has subsequently left the club, the Hatters have spent some serious money on signings.

Many of those signings have turned out well, but Hippolyte shows that sometimes gems can be hiding in the most unlikely places, and they’ll often come cheap as a result, but what they can offer with the right backing may be priceless.