Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor discusses Gavan Holohan's new contract and hints 'there may be more to follow'

Pools tied down Irish midfielder Gavan Holohan to a two year deal at Victoria Park last week meaning the club now have six players contracted for next season, whenever that may be.

All professional football in the United Kingdom is currently suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak but that hasn’t stopped Challinor getting down to business. After securing Holohan’s services, discussions are ongoing with several other key players in the squad.

“To get the first one of hopefully quite a few done now is really pleasing and hopefully there will be more to follow,” Challinor said.

Talks are thought to be progressing well with the likes of Nicky Featherstone and Mark Kitchingamong others.

Despite Holohan being restricted to just 20 starts this season, Challinor was keen to get a deal sorted.

“Gav has been great,” he said. “He’s been a victim over the last few weeks of making a silly mistake at Barnet, getting sent off and then the team did well so he’s found it had to get back in.

“In the last two games, he’s not produced his best performances by any stretch but he knows what he’s good at and he needs to play to his strengths. He can run forward, get into the box and finish and that showed with the equaliser last Saturday.

“Moving forward, if he can continue to be a goalscoring midfield player then it’s something every team is crying out for.”