Former Hartlepool United attacker signs "new and improved" contract with League One promotion-chasers
Former Hartlepool United attacker Dan Kemp has signed a "new and improved" contract with League One promotion-chasers Stevenage that is set to keep him at the Lamex until June 2028.
The 26-year-old is a hugely popular figure in Hertfordshire having scored 13 goals in 62 games, finding the net twice in 14 matches so far this term and helping propel Stevenage to second in the League One table.
Kemp, who spent time in the academies of Chelsea and West Ham, is remembered as one of the best loan signings Pools have made in the club's recent history. The diminutive attacker arrived at Victoria Park in January 2023 and, while he wasn't able to help Pools avoid relegation from League Two, his nine goals in 16 games came close to hauling John Askey's side back from the brink. Memorably, Kemp scored a hat-trick in a relegation grudge-match against Grimsby that Pools, who were in dire need of three points to keep their survival hopes alive, won 4-1. Along with the likes of Luke Armstrong, Tyler Burey and Reyes Cleary, Kemp is regarded as one of the most exciting, influential and impactful loan signings Pools have made in the modern era.
Following loan spells at Stevenage and Blackpool, Kemp signed for Leyton Orient in January 2021 and went on to make 49 appearances for the O's, scoring six times. The attacker moved to MK Dons a year later but found himself in and out of the side in Buckinghamshire, with 14 of his 31 league appearances coming from the bench. It was during this time that he linked up with Pools on loan before another hugely impressive stint with Swindon, scoring 14 times in 25 league games and winning the Wiltshire side's player of the year award despite only spending half of the campaign at The County Ground. His form secured a permanent return to Stevenage, where he featured six times during a loan spell in 2020, in the summer of 2024 and the forward has wasted little time in establishing himself as an integral part of manager Alex Revell's side.
"I'm really delighted," Kemp told Stevenage's official club website after putting pen to paper on his contract extension.
"It means a lot, I've had a good spell so far and I've really enjoyed my time here. I'm really excited to extend my contract and I'm really looking forward to the future. We've got a fantastic group of people here first and foremost, I love coming to work every day. The work we do every day has enabled us to make a really positive start to the season, we've just got to keep working hard and make sure we keep that going."
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