Nottinghamshire signs Sussex wicketkeeper John Simpson

Nottinghamshire has signed veteran wicketkeeper John Simpson from Sussex on a deal that will keep him at Trent Bridge beyond his 40th birthday. Simpson joins the East Midlands side on a two-year deal encompassing both the County Championship and One-Day Cup formats.

The 38-year-old has amassed more than 14,000 runs across first-class and List A competitions during a 17-year professional career in which he spent more than a decade at Middlesex, where he won the 2016 Division One title, before he went on to join Sussex in 2024. He captained Sussex to promotion from Division Two of the County Championship and helped them reach T20 Blast Finals Day in his first year with the club.

Simpson, who earned three One-Day International caps for England in 2021, scored 581 County Championship runs in the 2026 season, the first time he fell under the 1,000-run mark in his three years at Hove, as Sussex finished third in the table and just ahead of Nottinghamshire.

He described his years with Sussex as "some of the most enjoyable and rewarding of my career" but went on to say he was "excited" by the "new challenge" at Nottinghamshire.

His move to Trent Bridge brings an end to Kyle Verreynne's time with the East Midlands side, the South African having helped the club to the 2025 County Championship title during his three-year tenure. Verreynne's time at Trent Bridge was cut short in September when he was called up by Cricket South Africa, forcing Nottinghamshire to pick up New Zealand's Mitchell Hay on a short-term deal to see out their ultimately failed attempt to retain the title.

Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores hailed Simpson as "a quality" wicketkeeper and batter that boasts "a proven track record". "It’s a double-edged sword because we’ve loved having Kyle, and he’s been fantastic for us," Moores told the club website. "The significant difference by having John to play the same role is the flexibility it will give us with our second overseas spot moving forward."

Simpson's contribution to Sussex has been immense over the past three seasons. His departure is a huge blow to the club, but his place in Sussex history is assured, and he will always be welcomed back to Hove with open arms.