Cymru Premier: Former Lincoln City, Walsall, and Stevenage defender signs from National League club
Penybont have signed a player with almost a 100 EFL games of experience. (Pic by Lewis Mitchell/FAW)
Cymru Premier club Penybont have continued their impressive recruitment ahead of their UEFA Conference League campaign by signing former Football League defender Max Melbourne.
Manager Rhys Griffiths has been busy in the transfer market as the club prepares for its second successive European campaign and third in four seasons.
Penybont face Andorran side FC Santa Coloma in the first qualifying round at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, July 9. With new investment behind the club, the Bridgend outfit has strengthened its squad ahead of another shot at European football.
Melbourne arrives from National League side Gateshead, becoming the latest addition to Griffiths’ squad.
Melbourne is a 27-year-old left-back who is understood to be eligible to represent Wales through family connections, per Transfermarkt. He comes from a footballing family, with his brother also playing in the English non-league system for Shifnal Town.
The Solihull-born defender made 16 appearances in all competitions for Gateshead last season. The defender began the campaign as a regular feature in the side, playing through October and November, but did not make a senior appearance after January 20.
His career began with West Brom, where he did not make a senior appearance but was named on the bench for a Premier League match in December 2017.
He has played 92 matches across League One and League Two, with the fourth tier of English football being where he has featured most heavily, just eight appearances shy of 100 in total across those divisions.
He has also gained experience in the Scottish Premiership and the English Championship, and has represented Partick Thistle, Lincoln City, Walsall, Stevenage, and Morecambe.
Melbourne’s arrival marks Penybont’s seventh signing of the summer transfer window, with the club continuing to target players from the National League, accounting for just under half of their recruitment so far.
Among those arrivals is Ryan Hill, the former Aldershot captain, who has moved to South Wales. Eduino Vaz has also joined after spending much of his recent career in the National League South while contracted to Sutton United.
Tom Mehew arrives from Chippenham Town, where he made 43 appearances last season in the National League South following the club’s relegation. The Bristol Rovers academy graduate adds further midfield depth to the squad.
Domestically, they’ve signed Morgan Weaver and Marinho Manga from the Cymru South, and Dan Jefferies has returned from league rivals Briton Ferry Llansawel.
