Words John Edwards (Cover picture courtesy of Preston North End)

Phil Parkinson has strengthened his defensive resources for Altrincham's busy January programme by recruiting highly-rated Preston North End prospect Kacper Pasiek for the next month.

The versatile 19-year old left-back, who can also operate in the centre of defence or in midfield, has joined the Robins on a one-month loan and is eligible for this afternoon's eagerly-anticipated Isuzu FA Trophy fourth-round tie against a Barnet side who are just one point off the top of the Vanarama National League.

The visit of Barnet to The J.Davidson Stadium (kick-off 3pm) marks the start of a hectic January schedule, with league games coming up at Eastleigh and at home to Wealdstone, Maidenhead United (Footy-for-a-Fiver) and Forest Green Rovers and a National League Cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers under-21s, also at The J.Davidson Stadium.

With that in mind, Alty are delighted to welcome an extra option to the squad in the form of Polish defender Kacper, who has worked his way through the ranks at Deepdale after arriving at the club as a nine-year old.

Strong in the tackle and assured in possession, he trained with Preston's first-team squad last summer after progressing through the club's youth system and landing his first senior contract, following the successful completion of a two-year scholarship.

As with any youngster showing potential, it was felt he would benefit from gaining experience of senior first-team football at non-League level, and he had a loan spell at Warrington Town last season, where he clocked up 10 appearances in the National League North.

That was followed by a loan move to Marine earlier this season, and he is now ready to bolster Alty's bid to launch 2025 in style as we tackle six fixtures across three competitions in the year's opening calendar month.

A warm welcome to The J.Davidson Stadium, Kacper, and all the very best in Alty colours.