It was a signing that took even the other City players by surprise.

Nobody seriously thought a player with Lee Hendrie’s calibre would suddenly pop up at a League Two club.

His previous relationship with Peter Taylor in the England under-21s was obviously a significant factor. He is a manager Hendrie knows well and trusts.

But even so, to get a player with a Premier League pedigree agreeing to ply his trade at the bottom level – for however long it lasts – was a remarkable coup.

While his capture has invigorated the dressing room, Taylor believes it should also send out a warning to the rest about the precarious nature of their trade.

Taylor frequently reminds them about the rising number of those thrown on the scrapheap every summer – the lorry as he calls it – and the risk of slipping out of the game.

Hendrie was released by Derby in May and it was four months before he got another chance. Others won’t be so lucky.

Taylor said: “I think we all know that Lee is more than a League Two player. For him not to have a football club really surprises me.

“But then there’s Chris Riggott, an England international, who is younger and he’s only just got fixed up with Cardiff City. It’s a scary situation.

“That’s why I’m always telling the players ‘don’t get on that lorry-load in June’. There are so many players available who can’t get fixed up and that lorry just gets bigger and bigger every year.

“I’m sure all managers around the country say the same but players have got to realise they cannot afford to slip or they’ll be out of the game too.

“I keep going back to Andy Hessenthaler but he used to come in every day and give it his maximum. That’s what players have got to do.

“And if it doesn’t work out, then at least they can feel they’ve given it everything. But if you take your foot off the gas, then you’ll end up on that lorry, without a doubt.

“That was the one thing I said to the players before the game last week.

“I told them that we are going to build a good squad here. If they want to be a part of it, they’ve got to keep showing us.”

After a full week’s training with his new team-mates, Hendrie will feel sharper for Saturday’s trip to Northampton. A naturally-fit lad, he arrived at the club in good shape but just lacking match practice.

Hendrie said: “I’ve been looking after myself anyway. It’s not as if I’ve been going out and having a few beers all the time.

“But it’s no good just saying it, I’ve got to go out there and do it. This is a vital time for me.”

City hope that the midfielder’s experience can rub off on those around him. Hendrie has already noticed the impact the club’s bumper crowds can have.

“The fans are superb here, which is a big thing for the club,” he said.

“They expect a lot, which they should do, but you tell the young boys not to go into their shells. You see it a few times.

“You’ve got to keep trying positive things because one time it will come off.”