Get an in-depth look into Sutton’s newest recruit, Danny Cashman.
Another reunion has taken place in South London, with Chris Agutter bringing Danny Cashman to the club just days after Toby Byron’s switch from Worthing, and takes place just in time for the National League registration deadline.
Born and bred in Crawley, Cashman’s career began briefly in the youth ranks hometown club Crawley Town, an association which ended prematurely after the club’s youth setup folded due to a lack of funds, but was followed by a six-week trial at Brighton & Hove Albion in 2012, setting up the next eight years of his life when, then aged just 12-years old, his displays led to a contract, and subsequently saw him call the AMEX his home for his entire upbringing.
Amidst a changing landscape on the South Coast, Cashman joined a Brighton side who were building under Gus Poyet with the AMEX Elite Football Performance Centre a couple of years away from completion, and thus led to him training at Worthing, Eastbourne and the University of Sussex before playing games in Shoreham, traversing much of Sussex during his early years.
Nonetheless, his impressive rise up the ranks at Brighton saw him receive international recognition, being called up for England at Under-16 and Under-17 level, before going on to captain Albion’s Under-18s, while his performances in the Seagulls’ development squad earned him many plaudits. Highlights included scoring a goal at the AMEX against in a 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur and playing against Leyton Orient in the EFL Trophy, before being in and around the Under-23 group that got promoted to Premier League 2 in 2018. Cashman was also a part of the sides that finished third in back-to-back Premier League 2 seasons from 2018/19 to 2019/20 – campaigns where Brighton were not too far off a title-winning effort.
In addition, former manager Graham Potter’s decision to give high-profile signings game time in the youth setup saw him play alongside current Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo in a pre-season encounter with Manchester City, with Cashman scoring a wonderful goal after breaking into the box, getting across his man and curling his strike into the far bottom corner to level things up, ahead of two Liam Delap strikes to secure a 3-1 win for the Cityzens.
Further highlights including a cool finish to complete a comeback win over Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League 2, as well as a Goal of the Season contender which was beaten a first team strike, courtesy of Iranian forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh, and in all boasted impressive numbers in Under-23s football, being tipped for a bright future despite going on to never play at senior level for the Seagulls.
The forward scored four goals and bagged seven assists for the under-23s in the 2019/20 campaign in Premier League 2 and chalked up six goals and three assists in 20 appearances the following season, showing much promise in the Seagulls’ academy, but despite this, saw his stay at Albion end in April 2021 after he was told he was being released following a meeting with academy boss John Morling and Under-23 interim coaches Andrew Crofts and Shannon Ruth.
Indeed, while he harboured dreams of playing first team football for Brighton, this was something he was unable to realise, but despite this, his talent, especially in regard to dribbling, finishing and movement, led to a number of club circling in an attempt to secure his services. After briefly linking up with fellow Sussex side Worthing during pre-season, giving the Rebels a glimpse of what he would eventually bring to Woodside Park with goals in wins against Tonbridge Angels and Welling United, any hopes of a permanent stay were dashed when he penned a deal with Coventry City shortly after, opting to swap the South Coast for the Midlands when he agreed a three-year deal in the summer of 2021 before being immediately sent out on loan to then League Two Rochdale, where he made 29 appearances and scored three goals, including his first senior goal in the EFL Cup win over Shrewsbury.
This was followed by subsequent loan spells at Walsall and Altrincham, being redirected out to another fourth tier club with ten appearances for the former, before dropping into the National League with the latter, where he played eight times without return. Then, on transfer deadline day, Cashman opted to leave City when his contract was terminated a year early, by mutual consent.
Days later Cashman was snapped up by his former Brighton development coach Adam Hinshelwood at Worthing, joining a Rebels side who sat second in the National League South as he finally linked up with them on a long-term basis. The midfielder, who can play as a number nine ten or as a winger, had made the bold decision to drop further down the divisions, but proved a hugely successful one, as he went on to make 100 appearances for the club, enjoying his best football of his senior career so far as he established himself as one of the most prolific players in all of non-league.
He helped the club reach the play-off final in his first season, scoring in the 4-3 defeat to Braintree Town and ending the season with 16 goals in all competitions, before remaining on board last term under Sutton boss Agutter, in which he was handed the number ten shirt vacated by Ollie Pearce following his move to York City, and led Cashman hitting the 20-goal mark in 55 appearances last term as they again reached the play-offs, this time with a record points tally of 88.
Cashman made his hundredth Rebels appearance in the play-off defeat to eventual finalists Maidstone United, with his two seasons with Worthing being littered with moments of magic and great goals, arguably the most memorable being the strike against Boreham Wood that saw him pick the ball up on the edge of his own box before travelling the length of the pitch, exchanging passes with Harrison Smith twice in the process, before calmly slotting home.
As such, clubs were once again circling for a player who had begun to realise his potential; his performances being recognised with the Young Player of the Year award, and saw his next step become a fairly obvious one with a shot at league football becoming more and more realistic.
Indeed, it was Cashman’s hometown club Crawley who won the race to sign him, earning his chance to prove himself in the EFL again with a jump up two divisions, joining the Reds on a two-year deal in a move that he described as the perfect fit.
His pre-season saw him hit the ground running, impressing against Hearts while on a training camp in Spain before showing what he is all about in front of the fans at Three Bridges, displaying sharpness and liveliness during his early days under Scott Lindsay, along with his evident fitness that saw him in the top group in terms of the running.
Despite this, Cashman has struggled for opportunities in the fourth tier, playing just five times this season so far, primarily owing to injury struggles which has vastly limited his game time, preventing him from contributing to Crawley’s fight against the drop; the Reds Devils currently sitting a point outside the bottom two in 21st, and are now led by former Brighton, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Blackburn, Feyenoord, Celtic and Derby County forward Colin Kazim-Richard, who replaced Lindsay in the dugout at the Broadfield Stadium earlier this week.
However, Crawley’s loss is Sutton’s gain, with Agutter reuniting with his former talisman to bring Cashman to Gander Green Lane ahead of the final seven games of the season, joining the ranks in South London on loan until the end of the season.
