Dave Challinor pinpoints key reason he wanted to re-sign Gary Liddle for Hartlepool United
Liddle has signed a permanent deal at Victoria Park, the second of his career, following a successful loan spell at Pools in the second half of last season.
Liddle made a return to The Vic in January from parent club Walsall and added to his impressive 284 appearances that all started back in 2006.
Challinor said: “It’s great to see Liddle back involved.
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Hide Ad"As well as knowing the club so well, he has a real experienced head that we saw at the back end of last season, he’s a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room as well so I’m delighted to get him signed up ready for a busy season ahead.”
The length of Liddle’s contract has not been revealed.
Challinor has previously spoken of how important Liddle and Nicky Featherstone are to the squad he is building ahead of the new National League campaign.
He said: “Experience is massive and if you can get experience that fits into how you want to play then it’s a double win if you like.
“Lidds was at the club for a while, went away and came back while Feaths has been here for an extended period and those two have been mainstays since we’ve come in.
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Hide Ad“They know what it’s like to play here in the Football League. Everyone wants to get the club back to where it should be but we have no divine right to be there.
“With the amount of young players we’ve got around them in the squad, they become massively important to us.
“Along with that, they’re very good footballers and fit into the way I want us to play. Hopefully that will continue to be the case moving forward.”
Liddle made his debut for Pools back in August 2006 after Danny Wilson signed him from Middlesbrough, playing a key role as the club won promotion to League One.
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Hide AdIn total Liddle has played 284 times and is 20th in the club’s list of all-time appearance-makers.