Hartlepool United boss on the possibility of transfer outgoings beyond deadline day including 19-year-old forward

Joe Grey came off the bench during Hartlepool United' Papa Johns Trophy win over Harrogate Town. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)

Paul Hartley does not expect any further outgoings at Hartlepool United despite the possibility of non-league exits – and that includes youngster Joe Grey.

The transfer window might have closed for clubs in the EFL but that does not rule out the possibility of players still yet being able to leave the Suit Direct Stadium.

Pools are able to offload players to the non-league should a deal be worthwhile, particularly in terms of loan agreements where it may benefit a player to gain some short-term game time, or at a players desire.

But Hartley, who completed a 16th and final signing of the transfer window late on deadline day with Barnsley’s Clarke Oduor, does not expect to lose any of his players.

Joe Grey picked up a calf injury following the pre-season draw with Sunderland back in July. Picture by Martin Swinney

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Asked whether the likes of Grey could be considered for a month-long loan deal to regain his match fitness Hartley told The Mail: “No, that’s not something I’ve thought about.”

Grey made his first appearance of the season when coming off the bench as a late substitute in the defeat to Bradford City last month, having missed the beginning of the campaign with a calf injury.

The teenager made the trip to Leyton Orient last week, before he was overlooked for Hartley’s squad, only to return to the substitutes bench for the Papa Johns Trophy tie with Harrogate Town.

Grey came off the bench for the final 25 minutes at the Suit Direct Stadium as he continued to regain his match sharpness.

“He’s missed a few weeks of training so it’s just about trying to get that match fitness and just to keep working hard in training and then if you get an opportunity, you need to take it,” said Hartley.

"It’s to make sure he’s ready for us.

“Ideally I would have liked to have made more changes [against Harrogate] to be quite honest with you, just because of the amount of games we’ve had and the amount of games we’ve got coming up.

“We had to be strong in one sense. But he did well the other night when he came on.”

Hartley had regularly shut down the possibility of any outgoings prior to the the closing of the transfer window, telling The Mail recently: “No there won’t be [any outgoings] unless people come in and players want to go.”