Wrack and Roper interest Mariners

League Two side Grimsby Town are weighing up a move for Walsall old boys Ian Roper and Darren Wrack.

The duo made nearly 600 appearances between them in a Saddlers shirt before both were released in the summer, with both players receiving testimonial matches from the club.

Now both players are free agents they must find a club and, with Roper aged 30 and Wrack aged 32, they represent real experience at a relatively young age. This has come to the attention of Mariners boss Alan Buckley.

He is known to be in the market for a new centre-half, after loan signing Sam Hird signed a new contract at Doncaster and Robert Atkinson’s loan spell from Barnsley ended. With 306 appearances under his belt at his only club, Roper could bring some calm to what is a young back line.

For Cleethorpes-born Wrack, it would represent somewhat of a homecoming. He left the town as a youngster to begin his career at Derby and had a two-year spell at Blundell Park before joining Walsall in July 1998, where he went on to make 281 appearances.

Buckley stated yesterday that he is hoping to make his first summer signing within the next two weeks.

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