Hartlepool United coach pleased club's hard work paid off as defender signs new deal

Ferguson has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal at the Suit Direct Stadium keeping him with the club until 2024.

Ferguson has been influential in helping Pools secure their League Two status this season with more than 50 appearances and five goals.

Nelson is currently in caretaker charge at Pools, along with Antony Sweeney, following the sacking of Graeme Lee.

And he was delighted to see Ferguson sign a new deal and commit his future to the club.

Nelson insists everyone at the club has been putting in a lot of hours to try and tie down some of the key players who are out of contract and the club want to keep.

There is a big summer of recruitment ahead at Pools as they look to build on the last 12-months, where the club secured their Football League status and enjoyed two strong cup runs.

Nelson now hopes others will follow in Ferguson’s shoes, with deals on the table for some of the players nearing the end of their contract.

Work to tie down some of the key players has been going on since earlier this year.

On Ferguson’s new deal, caretaker boss Nelson said: “We’ve been working really hard.

"The staff, Graeme [Lee], the chairman and people behind the scenes to try and get deals done to keep the players at the club we want to keep.

"I spoke about it when Graeme had COVID, deals will only get done if both parties agree.

"Tom Crawford and the football club agreed.

"David Ferguson and the football club have agreed.

"Now there’s other players who have had good offers from the football club, good offers, and they haven’t agreed.

"Have they had their head turned somewhere else?

"Have their agents got something else lined up?

"I’ve been in football long enough to know what goes on.

"But I will say that good offers have went in to players and they haven’t signed and until both parties agree, nothing will happen.

"There has been work going on since the first week in February and unfortunately it’s been dragged out and we haven’t been able to get as many over the line as we would have liked and if that’s the case and they don’t decide to sign on then that’s the nature of the game.

"You go out. That’s why we’ve brought a head of recruitment in who is working tirelessly and has been since he came through the door.

"I think he’s been out on the road and having meetings and speaking to agents constantly.

"It will be a big summer of recruitment but I’m positive that it’ll be a successful one and hopefully the club will be in a much stronger position come the start of next season.”

Ferguson had been one of several players out of contract this summer who ex-boss Graeme Lee was keen to tie down to a new deal.