Hartlepool United youngster extends loan with Northern Premier League Premier Division side
Hartlepool United defender Campbell Darcy has had his loan at Northern Premier League Premier Division side Hebburn Town extended until November.
The 19-year-old, who is yet to make a senior appearance for Pools this season, signed for the Hornets on an initial one-month loan deal in September but has had his stint extended after impressing manager Daniel Moore. Darcy, who can operate at full-back, centre-half or in a more advanced midfield role, scored on his home debut as Hebburn beat Premier Division rivals Workington and has been part of a formidable recent run that has seen the Hornets lose just once in their last 10 matches. Certainly, Darcy has impressed Moore in the Hebburn dugout, with the Hornets boss hailing the versatile teenager as "an ideal young player for us".
"I've been really impressed with Campbell and I said it last year about Dan Cameron when we brought him in from Sunderland," he said.
"You want young lads that want to get out and play men's football and Campbell is exactly like that. He wanted to come and get games under his belt in men's football, he's getting that experience and he has a really good attitude.
"That's one thing I've learnt about taking young players on loan. If you can get those players that want to learn, that have the right attitude and want to play men's football, along with the quality they bring, they can be a big positive for your team. Campbell is like that and he wants to compete so he is an ideal young player for us."
Since making his senior debut against Stoke during an FA Cup clash in January 2023, the highly rated youngster has found it difficult to break into the Pools first team. Darcy made two substitute appearances at the end of the 2023/24 season under Kevin Phillips, impressing with his pace and composure, and had been set to make his first start on the final day of the campaign as Pools travelled to relegated Dorking Wanderers, only to miss out after rolling his ankle in training. The defender made a solitary appearance from the bench last term, coming on in the 82nd minute as Pools beat rivals Gateshead 3-2 in April, and also enjoyed a successful spell out on loan at Whitby, playing 22 games for the Seasiders. He drew high praise from skipper Tom Parkes, who lauded Darcy as a "brilliant footballer" with "loads of potential". "He's got everything I'd love to have as a footballer; he's athletic, he's quick and he's powerful," Parkes added.
Even so - and despite featuring regularly in pre-season - it seems as though the youngster has more work to do if he's to convince manager Simon Grayson he's ready to make the step up to becoming a first team regular. Much like Louis Stephenson, who he signed his first professional contract alongside in December 2023, the teenager has found himself on the fringes of the Pools squad and is now set to continue his development away from Victoria Park. Having missed Tuesday night's Durham Challenge Cup win over Gateshead Leam Rangers, Darcy is now set to return to action for Hebburn, who are eighth in the Northern Premier League Premier Division table, when they travel to sixth placed FC United of Manchester on Saturday.