How Hartlepool United could line up next season:
1. Goalkeeper: Will Jaaskelainen
With Pete Jameson returning to Harrogate and Joel Dixon out of form and being made available for transfer, Pools are looking for a new goalkeeper this summer. Darren Sarll knows Will Jasskelainen well, having signed him for Woking. At 25, the former Finland under-21 international should be approaching the peak of his career but, after falling down the pecking order with the Cardinals, will need to secure first team football if he's to realise his potential. He played 35 times for Crewe when the Alex won promotion from League Two in 2020 and racked up another 45 league appearances across two seasons in the third tier. He displaced Woking's first choice goalkeeper, Ethan Ross, not long after arriving in Surrey and so perhaps a reunion with Sarll will help him get back to his best. Photo: Frank Reid
2. Left-back: David Ferguson
Coming off the back of perhaps the most difficult season of his Pools career, Ferguson has entered negotiations with the club over a new contract. It would be a surprise not to see him back at the Suit Direct Stadium again next term, given that he is closing in on 200 appearances for Pools and was almost ever-present last season. Back in 2021, at the end of his first season in blue and white, he was named in the National League team of the season as Pools won promotion after beating Torquay in a heart-stopping play-off final at Ashton Gate. Sarll spoke glowingly of the full-back, who turns 30 next month, at his first press conference and, with the new manager's summer shopping list already considerable, it's unlikely he'll be keen to add to it by having to hunt for a new left-back. Photo: Mark Fletcher
3. Centre-back: Tom Parkes
Pools fans - and, of course, the new boss - will be hoping that Tom Parkes and Luke Waterfall can maintain their strong partnership next season. Parkes, who arrived just before Waterfall in January, made 19 appearances, scoring once, and had a huge impact on his new side's defensive fortunes. The 32-year-old is strong, experienced, brave, reads the game well and is comfortable with the ball at his feet. The fact that he is left-footed is an added bonus as it allows him to dovetail perfectly with Waterfall, who is right-sided. The one concern, perhaps, is that he struggled with injuries while up in Scotland with Livingston. However, he has made more than 475 career appearances and - other than being forced off with concussion against Barnet - he was ever-present after making his debut as a half time substitute against AFC Fylde. Sarll has already expressed that both he and Waterfall are exactly the type of centre-halves he likes to have in his side and, as individuals and as a partnership, the pair could be one of the keys to the new manager's success next season. Photo: Mark Fletcher
4. Centre-back: Luke Waterfall
Much like Parkes, the arrival of Luke Waterfall was fundamental to Pools' considerable defensive improvement in the second half of the season. His height, and the way he attacks the ball, makes him a real asset in both boxes and his prowess as a communicator seemed to bring out the best in those around him, particularly teenage full-back Louis Stephenson. He'll turn 34 just before the season starts and his experience will be vital. He has twice captained sides to promotion from the National League, leading both Lincoln and Grimsby back to the fourth tier. Given that skipper Nicky Featherstone has signed a player-coach deal and will celebrate his 36th birthday in September, it would not be a surprise to see Waterfall given the armband when the veteran midfielder is not in the side. Photo: Mark Fletcher