Former Hartlepool United defender Darren Williams is anticipating a busy summer at his old club.

Hartlepool United can challenge at the top end of the National League next season - according to former defender Darren Williams.

A busy summer is lying ahead for recently appointed Pools manager Lee Clark and new head of recruitment Chris Beech as they look to replenish a squad decimated by the departure of 13 players since the end of last season. The announcement of the club’s retained list confirmed just seven senior players remained under contract - although that figure has risen to nine after Luke Charman and Jack Hunter agreed new deals over the last ten days. Talks are ongoing with youngster Campbell Darcy after he returned from a successful loan spell with Hebburn Town and work is continuing as Clark and Beech look to add new faces to the Pools squad ahead of a return to pre-season training next month.

Williams, who made over 70 appearances for Pools during a two-year stay at Victoria Park between 2005 and 2007, has insisted his old club can push for a return to the EFL this season if they are able to oversee a successful recruitment drive before the campaign gets underway in August.

He told The Mail: “I think Hartlepool can challenge for a promotion next season. You look across the North East and there’s a flurry of activity at the moment with changes in owners or new managers and players coming in and Hartlepool are part of that. There are bright lights in North East football and Hartlepool are one of them. They’ve brought in Lee Clark, he’s a friend and former team-mate of mine, and I know just how hard he will work to make it a success. He will do his upmost to get everything right.

“You’ve got the new owner that has come in. It’s fantastic and it was about time because it needed a change. I can only see good times ahead. I know there is a lot of work to do on recruitment this summer after a lot of players left the club but if they get that right I think Pools will be challenging at the top end of the National League and Lee Clark will be leading that from the front.”

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