Mansfield Town

The 20-year-old centre-half, who stands at a towering 6ft 5in, began his career in a Southampton Academy team which included the likes of Oscar Gobern and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. 

Having spent the 2011/12 campaign with Concord Rangers in the Ryman Premier League, Tafazolli penned a deal with us yesterday following a lengthy pre-season trial at League Two outfit Oxford United. 

And our second-in-command has been impressed by what he has seen from the youngster so far.

“Ryan has been on trial with Oxford throughout pre-season and I think they really wanted to sign him,” said Murray.

"As a player, he likes to defend, go forward and win his headers and he has a great left foot too, so he’ll help to bring a lot to our package. 

“With the way we play and with our style and blueprint, we perhaps need a bit of size because we’re lacking height in certain areas. Ryan is a big, strong lad, so we’ve nipped in to sign him.” 

The arrival of Tafazolli means that we now have no fewer than six recognised central defenders on our books. 

With competition for places being so fierce, our assistant-boss has welcomed the re-establishment of a reserve team, who kick-off their Central League campaign with a home game against Port Vale next week. 

Murray continued: “I think having a reserve team is going to be a brilliant weapon for us.” 

“The main focus for the reserves is that it gives lads who are not playing in the first team minutes on the pitch, which will help to keep their fitness up. 

“Also, it will make sure that when people do come into the first team, they are on the same wavelength as what the first team players are on. 

“The reserve team will run a number of purposes, but it is a real good thing that we now have it up and running.” 

Murray has twice previously helped former clubs win promotion into the Football League and he maintains that having a large squad is very important to us this season. 

“In every side that I’ve won promotion with, the squad has been big enough to challenge every single day,” added the 30-year-old. 

“We have a big squad for a reason. There will be times when it will be ‘horses for courses’, but the squad is there to challenge each other and keep everyone on their toes. 

“There were some periods last year when the team picked itself and there weren’t much competition for places, but this year everyone knows they have to be at their best to get into the side.” 

Several members of our squad could soon be utilised to full effect as we prepare a bumper Bank Holiday weekend of Blue Square Bet Premier action. 

Last season’s Blue Square Bet North champions Hyde make their first ever visit to One Call Stadium this Saturday, two days before we travel to North Lincolnshire to face Grimsby Town. 

Murray, who was present at Ewen Fields to see Hyde in action against Luton Town last Friday night, thinks that the game against the side from Greater Manchester will be no easy one for us. 

He said: “Hyde are a decent team. They try and get the ball down and play and they have got some good individual players who will work hard. 

“They obviously know what they need to do in this league to put points on the board and they were unlucky against Luton not to pick up a win or even scrape a point. 

“But we know what we’ve got to do as well. We have our blueprint and we’ll stick to that and hopefully record another three points.”