BURY have signed defender Reece Brown on a short-term contract.

The 23-year-old centre-back, the brother of Sunderland’s Wes Brown, has penned a six-month deal after playing three matches on trial at the League One club over pre-season.

He goes straight into the squad for tomorrow’s opening match of the season at Doncaster Rovers.

Brown started as a trainee at Manchester United and was released by Barnsley - the ninth club of his career - in the summer.

Bury manager David Flitcroft had been looking to add to his defensive options amid concerns over the fitness of reserve centre-back Keil O’Brien, who is struggling to overcome a long-term knee problem.

The Shakers boss faced the possibility of going into the first match of the season with just two senior centre-backs – captain Nathan Cameron and summer signing Peter Clarke – after releasing Jim McNulty and Pablo Mills at the end of last season.

He had hoped to bring in an experienced defender on loan, and even considered recalling 16-year-old Matty Foulds from the Under-18s’ tour of Holland.