Bryan Hughes is hoping to use his experience to help the Reds climb up the League Two table.
Hughes, 35, has Premier League experience with Birmingham, Charlton and Hull, going through the highs of promotion and the lows of relegation.
Now the midfielder wants to use some of the valuable lessons he has learnt at the Crown Ground.
"I think every experience is a good experience – even if it was a bad experience at the time," said Hughes who has signed on a non contract basis and made his debut against Bristol Rovers on Saturday.
"You learn from things, learn from your mistakes and go forward to the next opportunity.
"I am interested in bringing what I can to the team and hopefully it can rub off on other players and we can start climbing the table."
Hughes ended up at the Crown Ground after his friend Dean Windass was doing Sky commentary at a game and recommended him to Reds boss John Coleman.
He was training for a month before joining the squad and getting international clearance after last playing in Iceland.
"I don’t think we are far off here," said Hughes.
"There is a lot of quality in the squad and I just think it needs a bit of fine tuning.
"The club got to the play-offs last season and you don’t turn into a bad team overnight.
"There are still a lot of the players here who were here last season and I think, if we can get the right blend of experience and some continuity in the team, then hopefully we will all gel together and get back up there.
"I am really excited to be working under John (Coleman) and Jimmy (Bell).
"They gave me the opportunity to come in and train and then gave me the chance to sign and I look forward to every game.
"It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster career for me but it’s been very enjoyable."
