Crawley today completed the signing of defender Nick Burton from Conference strugglers Farnborough in a deal which has seen Kevin Hemsley go in the opposite direction.

Burton, 29, was captain and player of the year at Cherrywood Lane and has left the relegation-threatened club following last week's departure of manager Dean Austin.

He started his career as a trainee at Portsmouth before signing for Torquay where he made 40 first team appearances.

Burton dropped into non-league with a move to Yeovil and also had spells at Aldershot, Hampton and Richmond and Gravesend.

Burton will go straight into the squad for Saturday's crucial Conference clash against play-off rivals Halifax at the Broadfield Stadium.

He said: "I can't wait to get going. It is brilliant to swap a team fighting for relegation at the bottom of the table for one going for the play-offs at the top."

Reds boss Francis Vines said: "I've known Nick for a while and he will be a big plus for us.

"He is a very vocal player and is a good organiser at the back. He is also experienced, so we are pleased to have him on board."

Hemsley made 103 appearances for Crawley during a three-year spell. He became the club's most successful captain last season when he lifted the Dr Martens premier division title, cup and championship trophy.

The 22-year-old found his first-team chances limited this season, making just nine appearances.