Barnet have made Taye Ashby-Hammond their eighth summer signing, bringing in the goalkeeper on a free transfer. The 27-year-old arrives with promotion experience from Stevenage, where he was later signed permanently after a loan spell that ended in a move away last season. He was also previously on the books of Fulham.
Brennan's view on the signing
Dean Brennan has made no secret of why Barnet wanted him. “We've been watching Taye from afar for a long time,” the manager said, adding that Ashby-Hammond is “a great age” for the club and that the references they received were “outstanding.” Brennan also called him “a fantastic level-headed character” and said he will “make us a better group and make the team better.”
That sort of language points to more than a simple squad add-on. Barnet are bringing in a goalkeeper who has already been trusted in pressure situations. Ashby-Hammond was ever-present in Boreham Wood's run to the 2021-22 FA Cup fifth round, and he played in the win over then-Championship side Bournemouth.
Barnet's recent cup numbers also underline why depth has been a priority. They have conceded 13 goals across their last five FA Cup matches and scored 10, with results reading L L W L D.
Ashby-Hammond said the move “feels amazing” and praised the facilities and the people around the club. Barnet will now hope the eighth addition of the summer brings the sort of reliability Brennan is clearly buying into.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →