We are delighted to announce Reece Cole has signed a one-year contract with the club, following a successful trial over pre-season.
The 25-year-old midfielder was offered the deal, which has the option of a further year, having impressed Gary Caldwell in the first fortnight of training and he becomes the third Grecian to sign over the summer.
A product of the Brentford academy, Cole had several loans within the EFL and Scotland to gain experience including Newport County and Yeovil Town, and previously played under Caldwell at Partick Thistle.
The Londoner, who left Dunfermline in 2022, credits his later non-league moves to Chertsey and Hayes & Yeading as sparking his 'love for football' again. He scored three times in his first seven appearances for Chertsey, before scoring a further seven in 23 for Hayes in the 2022-23 season.
Cole's attributes include his ability from dead ball situations, with a hint of his skill on show in Friday's friendly at Tiverton, where he played 45 minutes.
Manager Caldwell said: "Reece is someone I've known for a long time and I'm sure he's spoken that his career hasn't gone the way in which he wanted it to.
"We have brought him in to train with us and all of us have been impressed with both on and off the pitch. He's someone who has had tough times and fell out of love with the game, but he's come here hungry and fit and he thoroughly deserves the contract.
"Reece is a set-piece expert and he has all-round quality to help this team and effect the league. He knows he has to find a way to make that work consistently, but with the help of the coaching staff, he'll find that. He will show over the course of next season how good he is.
"It was very clear when we started more competitive training that you could see his quality."
Welcome, Reece!