FORMER club captain Shayne Anson has returned to injury-hit Cirencester Town ahead of today’s trip to St Neots Town in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier.

Other new faces in the squad today are classy midfielder Adam Connolly (Gloucester City) and Jamal Lawrence (Cheltenham Town).

Anson, who has signed permanently from Paulton Rovers, was a hugely popular and influential right back in Cirencester’s Division One South & West championship-winning season in 2013/14, though he missed the run-in with injury.

His steel and pace will be very welcome in the Cirencester defence which has been massively hindered by injuries to regular first-teamers Ian Herring, Gethin Jones, Ben Brown and Ellis Dunton.

Connolly, who played 32 times for Cheltenham Town in the Football League, subsequently became a legend for the Conference South side Bath City, making more than 250 appearances.

He will be reunited today with a trio of his former Bath teammates – Jones, keeper Glyn Garner and striker Charlie Griffin.

Lawrence has signed for an initial one-month loan period at Cirencester where he will rejoin his fellow Robins loanee Zack Kotwica in the Centurions strike force.

Lawrence, the 18-year-old nephew of former Gloucestershire and England pace bowler David ‘Syd’ Lawrence, has recently cut short a loan spell at National League South side Oxford City.