Cameron John hoping to put experience to good use after completing loan move to Hartlepool United
New Hartlepool United defender Cameron John is hoping his experience in both the Football League and National League will stand him in good stead after completing a move to Victoria Park.
The versatile 25-year-old, who can operate as a left-back or centre-half, joined Pools on a season-long loan from National League title favourites York City on Tuesday. The fact that the announcement of John's arrival was followed an hour later by news of Joe Grey's departure to sign a permanent contract at York led some fans to speculate that the deals were somehow linked, with John part of a swap that would enable the Minstermen to pay less compensation for Grey, who came through the Pools academy and went on to score 24 goals in 155 games at Victoria Park. However, Grayson poured cold water on the rumour and revealed that Pools had been in talks with John for "a couple of weeks", while York had only registered their interest in Grey in "the last three or four days". The compensation which York are required to pay Pools for Grey is now set to be decided by a tribunal.
Whatever the intricacies of the deal, John's arrival adds some much-needed strength on the left side of the Pools defence. Pools, at times, struggled on the left flank last season, with the long-serving David Ferguson criticised for some of his performances, while neither Matthew Bondswell nor Jack Robinson managed to displace him in the XI. Ferguson's departure to join National League rivals Gateshead left Pools, who were often totally reliant on the 31-year-old last term, even less well-stocked on the left of the defence and in desperate need of some reinforcements.
In John, Pools look to have secured a defender with impressive National League pedigree as well as some much-needed versatility, two things Grayson has honed in on this summer. The former Doncaster defender made 55 appearances for Rochdale before signing for York in the summer of 2024, playing 34 times as the Minstermen finished second in the National League last term.
"I've had some very good experiences," John told the official Pools club website.
"All that experience will help me going into this season, I've played against a lot of different shapes and a lot of different players. Hopefully I can bring that experience to the team and help push this team forward.
"I like to think I'm a winner. Obviously, being at York last year we had a good season, we finished in the top two and then we were unfortunate with the play-offs. I played a lot of games and won a lot of games, so I'm hoping to bring that experience and winning mentality to the side.
"I'm a hard worker, I'll play for the badge and the town that I'm representing. I'll tackle, defend and I like to attack as well. I'll give 100 per cent every single time I pull on the shirt."