Hartlepool United’s first five summer signings assessed

Under new manager Darren Sarll, Hartlepool United has added five summer additions to bolster a midfield that was sluggish and uninspiring for much of the previous campaign. These additions offer pace and menace to the attacking positions. Thus, how happy is Pools with their summertime business thus far?
An evaluation of Hartlepool United’s first five summer additions.

1. Luke Charman

The 26-year-old became Sarll’s first summer signing, agreeing terms despite being offered a new deal by AFC Fylde, but has yet to feature following a back injury. The versatile forward, who started out as a central striker but spent much of his time in the North West out wide, set the tone for Sarll’s summer recruitment, arriving with National League experience and links to the loca area, having been born in Durham, come through the ranks at Newcastle and had a prolific spell at local rivals Darlington. When he gets fit – and he has been pictured back in training – it seems likely he’ll line up on the left, where he impressed against Pools for the Coasters last season. His record at Fylde last season wasn’t fantastic – he scored four goals in 27 games and missed the last three months with injury – but he did enough to be offered terms to remain at Mill Farm. A lot of his best football has been played in the North East and he earned a move to the Football League with Rochdale after a blistering start to the 2021/22 season with Darlington. He should add pace and power to the front line, is a good size and in the prime of his career, and his energy, robustness and willingness to press means he could thrive under Sarll. He will, however, need to prove his fitness and force his way into a front line that, on paper at least, looks to be stacked with quality.

2. Jack Hunter

The first of three much-needed new midfield additions, Hunter signed to bolster the base of midfield after a successful season with National League rivals Halifax, where he played 44 times as Chris Millington’s team finished seventh. Another North East native, the 26-year-old is expected to be the man to keep things going in the engine room. Solid rather than spectacular, he was a key member of the Gateshead team that won the National League North title in 2022. He has experience with big games, having played the entire 90 minutes at Wembley as Halifax lifted the FA Trophy, defeating his team 2023: old team Gateshead 1-0. In a three, ideally, he can also substitute at center-half and bring versatility. had a sluggish preseason start, but Sarll singled him out for special recognition after he made an impression against South Shields on Saturday, with the manager praising his “dynamic” performance.

3. Nathan Sheron

Like Hunter, Sheron arrives with a reputation for robustness and reliability, two things the Pools midfield were lacking for much of last term. The 26-year-old made 89 National League appearances across two seasons with Oldham, where he was widely hailed as an outstanding individual, even if the reviews of his performances were much more mixed. He appears to be a midfielder in Sarll’s own image, with a workmanlike reputation for hard running, combativeness and commitment, so it’s no surprise the boss seems to be a big fan. Another with good experience and reasonable pedigree, Pools will be hoping he can produce another solid, consistent campaign and establish a partnership with Hunter and fellow new arrival Greg Sloggett.