WANDERERS signed their sixth player of the summer on Thursday as managing director Steve Hayes stepped up his dream of bringing Championship football to Adams Park within five years.

The in-a-hurry investor, who has already pumped £500,000 into the club, with the promise of more to come, sanctioned the signing of Northampton left back Chris Carruthers on a two year deal, bringing the number of new arrivals at the club up to six in six weeks since the season ended.

The former England U20 player joins Kevin Betsy and ex-Premiership men Tommy Mooney and Stefan Oakes alongside former Conference stars Will Antwi and Charlie Griffin on the new boys roster as Hayes chases promotion in his first full season as the club's managing director.

Hayes said: "I'm aiming for promotion. John Gorman, all the back room staff, everyone knows it is promotion.

"That is what we've got to achieve this season. Anything other than promotion will be a failure but that doesn't mean it is promotion or bust. There is a plan B and that is that we're gathering as much information as we can and learning.

"Patience is a virtue but it is one I don't have."

And he added: "We need to get some success on the field and if that personally costs me some money, I'm quite happy to put that in.

"It is not money that has been drawn up from anywhere else.

"What I want to be able to do is give it a real go on the pitch."

But Hayes warned fans not to judge him or the team after just ten matches and said that the time to pass judgement will be at the end of the season.

And he is optimistic that he will be able to achieve his dream of two promotions and Championship football in five years.

He said: "It is down to everyone within this club because if everybody does believe and thinks it's possible, then it will happen.

"I believe it should happen and I believe it can happen. But I don't want us to be a club that gets into the Championship and then falls straight back down.

"Five years is a decent enough time. There is enough scope there for a few blips.

"Clearly, if we get promotion this year then we have got four years to get to the Championship, which is achievable."

Carruthers, 21, joined Northampton five years ago and looked set for superstardom when he represented England at the World Youth Championships three years later.

The Kettering-born defender made 89 appearances for the Cobblers before joining Bristol Rovers on loan last season.

He then played against Wycombe for Rovers on the final day of last season.

He had a year left on his contract but Cobblers let him go on a free transfer after switching to a back three system last season, making it difficult for him to get games.