Hartlepool United boss Dave Challinor opens up about the uncertainty and contract dilemma facing players and clubs

It has been estimated that as many as 1,400 footballers could be out of contract this summer and facing an uncertain future as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hartlepool United announced their retained list recently with the players leaving into double figures, with just eight currently on the books for next season.

And that is one of the major problems facing National League clubs, nobody knows when the 2020-21 campaign will be able to get underway.

Challinor told the Mail: “It’s tough to negotiate deals but what I would say is, I wouldn’t want to be a player out of contract in such an uncertain time.

“The reality is, the deals our players have had that have ran out, were negotiated before I came here and how many clubs out there will be willing to offer player contracts that are going to start on July 1 and within that, what are the wages going to be.

“The furlough scheme helps but that may not get extended so there’s questions there.

“From a player perspective, I’d much rather be a player who doesn’t have to look at this moment in time.

“Negotiating can be difficult but the potential positive for a lot of our lads is that the ones we had playing at the end of the season we’ll definitely be speaking to and trying to get something sorted with them. Hopefully it fits within that and the players get some security and want to be part of the club moving forward.

“I have no reason to suggest why any of them wouldn’t want to be part of it.

“It works both ways, we’re in a situation with some of the lads where we want to extend a few of our lads’ contract and then the situation with the loan players is a different one.

“Most of their contracts run until July 30 with severance pay so they’ll be able to gamble to an extent.

“But forgetting about the situation, for me, the lads bought into what we were doing at the back end of last year and I’d hope they’d want the chance to continue that. But players will struggle to get new clubs when there’s absolutely no clarity at the moment to when the 2020-21 season will start.”