Stockport County will hope to recreate magic of Fleetwood Town winter swoop | OneFootball

The striker went on to earn himself a place in County’s hall of fame

Stockport County head towards the January window potentially needing to add some goals to their squad, and could easily look back at their Paddy Madden deal in 2021 for inspiration.

The Hatters signed Madden from two divisions above, midway through season, in a deal which shocked the football world.

It was one of the first big signings following Mark Stott’s purchase of the club the previous year, and brought much attention, but he went on to become a club legend over the next few years.

Two promotions, dozens of goals and countless memorable moments; County will make few investments as successful as Madden.

Madden ushered in a new dawn for Stockport County

The Hatters had made a few signings before Madden arrived in March 2021, but he was one of the first blockbuster moves, a sign of what County were now capable of under Stott.

Operating in the National League — which allowed them to make the move outside of the traditional transfer window followed by the Football League and above — County convinced Madden, who had already scored seven goals for third-tier Fleetwood Town that season, to drop down two divisions.

For a sense of just what a talent County were getting, you need look no further than the fact that Madden was, and still is, one of the top goalscorers in League One of all time, and was still only 31 years old.

Fee raised questions but Madden made it irrelevant

Reports in local media suggest that the fee County paid for Madden as a National League team was in the region of £250,000 — there’s no getting around the fact that that is a remarkable sum for the level.

But it quickly became irrelevant, as Madden hit 23 goals in his first full season in the 2021/22 season, spearheading the club out of non-league football for the first time in over a decade. Worth every penny.

Despite quieting down slightly, he still reached double figures in League Two in the following campaign, before — after some questions over whether he still had a role to play in the team — he plundered 17 goals in County’s League Two title-winning season in 2023/24, many of them coming at crucial moments towards the end of the campaign, when goals elsewhere on the pitch had dried up.

Madden will go down a County legend, and fee will scarcely be thought of

For his contributions to those two promotions, playing a huge role in getting County back to where they belong, Madden will forever be a hero at Edgeley Park.

Thanks to his contributions, two divisions above County now lies the Premier League, so this deal will be hard to recreate in its entirety.

But with County potentially searching for someone to replace goals in January, they may look back at the Madden deal and remember that sometimes splashing the cash for a proven goalscorer brings priceless rewards.