Northampton Town: Hildeberto Pereira signs, Lewis McGugan & Ryan McGivern released

Hildeberto Pereira has been training with Northampton for the past few weeks

Northampton Town have signed winger Hildeberto Pereira on loan from Polish side Legia Warsaw, while Lewis McGugan and Ryan McGivern have been released.

Portugal youth international Pereira, 21, made 25 appearances during a loan spell at Nottingham Forest last term.

The former Benfica player, who can also play at right-back, has featured in the Europa League for Legia this season.

Ex-Forest midfielder McGugan and Northern Ireland defender McGivern were on deals which expired in January.

McGugan, 29, played 14 times for Northampton after joining in October while McGivern, 27, played three times for the League One club during his two-month stay.

Pereira, who has joined the Cobblers until the end of the season, told BBC Radio Northampton: "The fact that (manager) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink called and spoke with me, and we already knew each other before, was obviously a very big help.

"A couple of months ago he called me when I was in Poland and I was very happy because not only do I know him very well as a manager, but as a player I was a very big fan of his."