Chris Maguire says the atmosphere created by Imps fans in the play-off semi-final was one of the reasons he was keen to sign on for the club.
Maguire was part of the Sunderland squad that lined up against the Imps at the LNER Stadium at the end of last season, and that only reinforced his positive view of the club’s fans.
He said: “It wasn’t a full house but it felt like it - the atmosphere was loud and I’ve been there before when it has been full which has always been great.
“It will be great to have fans back properly. Last year showed us that football without fans is nothing, getting them back can really help the team this season.”
Maguire penning a two-year contract means he will team up with manager Michael Appleton for the third time in his career, reuniting the pair in a professional partnership the experienced forward feels brings the best out of him.
He added: “My relationship with the manager and the length of contract being offered were big factors in me coming here. After speaking to him everything fell into place and I’m looking forward to working with him again.
“He treats everybody with respect which in football goes a long way, if you’ve a manager who trusts their players they give that back. He has been great throughout my career when I’ve worked with him and hopefully I can do that here as well.
“I was impressed when I came in to see the setup - the pitches look good, there’s a nice gym and the facilities are good. I’m ready to go and looking forward to getting started.”
