All nine players released by Hartlepool United assessed:
1. Alex Lacey
Injuries have followed the luckless Lacey throughout his career and, unfortunately for the central-defender, his time at Pools has been no different. The 30-year-old was limited to just 35, mostly forgettable, outings in blue and white and his two year spell in the North East has been hampered by a succession of serious injuries. Clearly a decent enough defender, intelligent albeit a bit one-paced, he arrived from Notts County on a free transfer in July 2022 but injuries meant he struggled to nail down a spot in the side. He was limited to 14 appearances, a handful of which came at right-back, this season and missed four months after fracturing his metatarsal in October. His calmness, experience and, for the most part, composure in possession means it's not impossible another National League club will take a punt on him this summer. Photo: Frank Reid
2. Edon Pruti
The 22-year-old has a lot of the attributes to have a bright future in the game but, despite a decent enough start, he never seemed to settle in the North East. The young defender showed some promising signs following his transfer from Brentford's B team in January last year, playing 22 times in the second half of the season and impressing despite Pools' relegation from League Two. Commanding and good in the air, he was a bit rash and wasteful with the ball at his feet but there was enough to suggest the Albanian under-21 international would form an important part of John Askey's plans and it was little surprise to see him offered a new deal. However, with rumours that he hadn't settled in the North East never far from circulation, he was dropped after failing to impress in the season opener as Pools were beaten by Barnet. He made just one more substitute appearance before heading back down south to link up with Farnborough, where he impressed during two separate loan spells. It seems likely he'll sign a permanent deal with the National League South side this summer. Photo: Pete Norton
3. Brody Paterson
One of the Scottish signings who was plucked from relative footballing obscurity during Paul Hartley's infamous summer shopping spree and tied down to a two year deal. It didn't take long for that to start looking like a mistake as, while Paterson was always willing and full of running, he never quite appeared up to the demands of the Football League, featuring 19 times in the first half of the season before linking back up with Hartley, who was sacked in September, at Cove Rangers. He returned to Pools in the summer and showed some signs of improvement, playing 13 times in the National League under John Askey. He was sent out on loan again, this time to Scottish League One side Kelty Hearts, after Askey's exit and he'll surely be looking to remain in his homeland again next season. Photo: Frank Reid
4. Tom Crawford
Arguably the biggest surprise of this summer's retained list, Crawford leaves after four years, one promotion, a relegation and 116 appearances at Pools. It took him a while to make his mark after following then boss Dave Challinor from Fylde. Over time, he started to show real potential, particularly in possession, and established himself as a regular in the engine room. His fourth and final season saw him score five goals in 39 appearances, making it the most prolific campaign of his career, but a lack of pace and dynamism was sometimes exposed by more energetic opponents. He tried to compensate by doing slightly more of the dirty work, finishing the season with 12 yellow cards, and probably wasn't helped by playing alongside two midfielders who were very similar to him. Still only 24, Crawford shouldn't struggle to find another team at National League level. Photo: Mark Fletcher