Summer signing has another chance to prove Swindon Town wrong on Saturday?

Between February 2023 and summer 2024, the 24-year-old former England youth international played 58 games for the Wiltshire club, which frequently flattered to deceive during that period. His stay was slightly under 18 months.

But in July, Mariners manager David Artell made the quick choice to sign the gifted former Chelsea player, and it has shown out to be a smart one as McEachran’s steadily increasing influence has been crucial to his team’s strong start to the 2024–25 season.

Following his older brother Josh through the ranks at Stamford Bridge, the Oxford-born man was a member of the England side that won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017. A few years later, the young player nearly made his first-team debut with the Blues.

Although that was not to be, his expertise before joining Swindon was enhanced by loan stints with Dutch teams Cambuur and MVV Maastricht, and Mariners supporters are now thrilled with what they have acquired from their fourth-tier rivals.

Thus far, McEachran has been a welcome change in a Grimsby shirt, exhibiting qualities essential to his team’s chosen strategy.

With players like Curtis Thompson, Jordan Davies, Evan Khouri, Kieran Green, and McEacharan fighting for the three starting slots in Artell’s engine room, the Mariners’ midfield is more competitive than it has been in a long time.

Even though they each have different strengths and finding the right combination is crucial for balance and, eventually, success, the latter’s poise and calmness when stealing the ball from his opponents and outplaying the press is distinctive, and it’s easy to see how much more polished Grimsby appear when McEachran is pulling the strings from deep.

The 24-year-old regularly breaks the lines thanks to his vision and passing prowess, frequently forming a connection with left-back Denver Hume to give the Mariners a consistent attacking threat on the wing.

Having played a lot of games so far this season, McEachran was left on the bench for last weekend’s visit of Crewe Alexandra, and he was sorely missed as Grimsby struggled to work the ball beyond the energetic pressing of their opponents, with passes going astray, either misplaced or mistimed.

These are the abilities that McEachran brings to the table. While the midfielder rarely gets forward himself, his work in his own half is integral to Grimsby’s attacking threat, and it’s likely he’ll return to the starting line-up at Swindon on Saturday to provide this.

While the former Robin is a calm presence who keeps his emotions in check, he’ll be desperate to put on a strong display on his return south, and show his old employers just what an error they made in allowing him to leave earlier in the year.

For the first time since his bitter Blundell Park departure four years ago, Swindon manager Ian Holloway is playing the Mariners.

Grimsby has made significant progress both on and off the field since those gloomy times of poor leadership and disinformation.

A far cry from the wreckage they were left in during a dismal 2020–21 season, when an unprepared squad looked completely out of their depth and eventually fell out of the EFL, by the Bristolian and the former club custodians.

By that time, Holloway had already abandoned the sinking ship he had so carelessly assisted in building, and many Grimsby supporters still feel resentment at the way individuals in high places at the time let things happen.

But instead of worrying too much about yesterday’s player in this weekend’s match, Mariners supporters would be better off focusing their energies on their own players.

Following the departure of former manager Mark Kennedy in October, Holloway assumed leadership of the faltering Robins. With the former manager of QPR, Blackpool, and Crystal Palace arguing with fans following last week’s loss to Bradford City, it’s safe to say that the journey has already been difficult.

With owners who have lost the trust of supporters and an aging manager who seems out of place in the fourth division, Swindon seems to be in a similar situation to Grimsby in 2020.

The Robins have several good players who are more than capable of making Artell and company’s day uncomfortable, even if the Mariners typically have a difficult time at the County Ground.

Grimsby, whose midfielder McEachran has been instrumental in their recent surge into the play-off pursuit, will be hoping to maintain their strong away performance.

The former Chelsea player will be eager to put on another dominant performance in the Mariners’ engine room to show Swindon what they’ve been missing.