“He’s hungry to prove himself at the next level, and when we spoke to him, it was clear that he’s ambitious and wants to challenge himself in a Premiership environment. That mindset is so important to us.
“We’ve had success in the past bringing players up from the Championship – guys who maybe haven’t come through the traditional pathway, but have worked hard to develop their game and made a real impact here in Northampton. James fits that mould perfectly.
“We think he’s a player with potential and we’re excited to see how he grows within our environment.”
Martin began playing rugby as a five-year-old at his local club, Sleaford RFC, later attracting the attention of Leicester Tigers and signing on with the Academy set-up at Saints’ East Midlands rivals in 2017.
During that time Martin also featured for Hinckley RFC, but a lengthy shoulder injury disrupted his teenage career and prompted the winger to move to New Zealand and join up with North Harbour Development Team in Auckland.
On his return to England, Martin’s try-scoring ability came to the fore during the 2022/23 season when he crossed the whitewash 13 times in 23 games for Coventry, and the winger then added a further 20 tries to his tally the following term.
The 25-year-old will now make the step up into the Gallagher Premiership for the first time in his career, and he is relishing the prospect of taking his game to the next level within the set-up of last season’s Investec Champions Cup finalists.
Martin said: “I’m incredibly excited to join one of the very best teams in Europe.