Former Hartlepool United youngster Jack Leonard on trial at Northern Premier side Morpeth Town

The 18-year-old winger was released by Pools at the end of last season without making a first-team appearance during his time at the club.

He has spent the last two weeks training with the Highwaymen.

Morpeth manager and former Pools midfielder Stephen Turnbull has run the rule over Leonard and will take the opportunity to see him in match action when his side get their pre-season schedule underway at Northern League club Hebburn Town on Friday night.

Turnbull admitted that the youngster had surprised his coaching staff during training sessions over the last fortnight and challenged Leonard to give him a tough decision to make over his chances of securing a deal at Craik Park.

He told The Mail: “He has made an impression on all of us in training and we were saying during the week that he has got better with every session.

“I spoke to Ross Turnbull [Pools’ goalkeeper coach] and he told me that Jack was head and shoulders above other players in terms of ability – but the challenge is to get him to do it every week.

“Craig Lynch and Jon McDonald [Morpeth Town coaches] didn’t know about him when we brought him in, but they know who he is now.

“He’s got neat feet, a trick and a turn, he’s a good finisher and he definitely has something about him as a young player.

“It will be good to see him playing in a match on Friday and he will get a chance to impress at Hebburn.

“He can make us make a decision on what to do with him and those are the sort of decisions I want to have to make on lads we have on trial.”

Leonard represented Hartlepool’s youth team last season, scoring in the 3-2 FA Youth Cup defeat at South Shields last November.

The youngster is likely to be one of several former Pools’ scholars available this summer due to the ongoing uncertainty and lack of clarity provided by the club regarding its youth set-up.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Hartlepool Mail website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.