St Albans City have moved quickly to snap up ‘one of the best goalkeepers’ outside of the Football League with the capture of James Russell from National League Boreham Wood.

The former Republic of Ireland Under-21 glovesman has signed a one-year deal at Clarence Park following his departure from Wood.

Russell kept 16 clean sheets last season to help keep Wood in the National League but a promotion in his day job, as part of the goalkeeping coaching set up at Chelsea, meant that he could no longer commit enough of his time to the rigours of National League football.

Saints boss Ian Allinson moved swiftly to snap him up as soon as he got wind of his availability and saw off plenty of interest from other clubs to bring his man in.

The delighted boss told the Saints website: “I’ve known James from my time at Boreham Wood and I have to say that we’re getting arguably one of the very best all-round keepers in non-league football.

“There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes to make this happen and I have to thank Danny Hunter and Luke Garrard [Boreham Wood chairman and manager respectively] for their help in our acquisition.

“As you would expect, there was a great deal of interest in James so to have him commit his immediate future with St Albans City is a massive statement of intent.”

The Welwyn Garden City-born shot stopper was originally a schoolboy with London giants Arsenal and Chelsea before joining the Stamford Bridge outfit where he signed professional forms at the age of 19, featuring regularly in their reserve and youth sides.

His talents in that arena were soon rewarded on the international stage when he was called up by the Republic Of Ireland Under-21s for matches against Slovakia and Portugal.

His arrival at Clarence Park comes a week after Saints announced that they were letting last season’s number one, Joe Welch, leave the club.

Russell won’t be the only new face at Clarence Park next term as Saints bid to compete at the other end of the table after successfully winning their relegation battle thanks to a last day of the season 4-0 thumping of Dartford.

Winger Shaun Lucien has also come in after switching allegiances from National League South rivals Wealdstone.

The former Brentford youngster, who has served both Harrow clubs, Wealdstone and Borough, has put pen to paper on a one-year-deal with the Saints.

But as he joins the club, popular midfielder Sam Corcoran has joined Hemel Hempstead Town after three years with the Saints.

He has turned down a new contract to extend his stay with the club.

The Saints have confirmed a pre-season friendly at home to Stevenage this summer.

The League Two side will visit Clarence Park on Saturday, July 9. It is their first meeting since a pre-season game which finished 1-1 two years ago.