Former Middlesbrough midfielder Luke Williams faces uncertain future at Hartlepool United as injuries take their toll

Three substitute appearances in two seasons sum up what has been an incredibly frustrating period, particularly for Williams himself. He’s a player whose talent would have made him a true asset for Pools in the National League if fit.

To say the former Middlesbrough midfielder has been unfortunate with injuries would be something of an understatement. His record is almost unprecedented in the professional game over the past few years as two knee operations, the first of which was botched, kept Williams out for the entirety of his first season at Pools after joining from Scunthorpe United.

Since making his first-team breakthrough at Boro as a 16-year-old, Williams has managed just over 100 professional league appearances in the 10-years since.

The now 26-year-old made his long-awaited ‘debut’ for Pools off the bench in pre-season as he scored in a 4-2 win over Sheffield United under-23s before suffering another set-back.

After making his first official National League appearance as a Hartlepool player as a substitute at Halifax Town back in August, Williams hyper-extended his opposite knee which again required surgery.

That kept him out of action for a further few months as he returned to the first-team picture just as Dave Challinor took over as manager.

Substitute appearances against Solihull Moors and Yeovil Town showed glimpses of what Williams could bring to the side but that’s as much as we’re likely to see from the midfielder.

A persisting hamstring issue is currently keeping Williams out of the side as the chances of him featuring again for Pools this season are getting slimmer.

No one doubts the quality Williams could bring to the side if fit, but if that quality never gets the chance to manifest itself on the pitch, that’s no good for anyone.

And Challinor revealed that he doesn't anticipate Williams to be playing an active role in the final dozen matches of the current campaign.

“I don't envisage he’ll be back with us but I certainly hope he'll be back on the grass and be able to be in amongst the lads,” said the Pools boss.

“I think that for an injured player that's been out for a long time, that’s the first step to be back in the swing of things and back out there in amongst it and I suppose it gives you fresh motivation to kick on from there.”

Signing Williams back in 2018 was a gamble, re-signing him last summer has proven to be a mistake.

The club were possibly blinded by the fantasy that ‘the best player in the National League’would help fire Pools to promotion should he be able to start regularly. An honest but ultimately naive decision in hindsight.

Still, it may not have been an overly costly one for Pools as, given the midfielder’s injury record, he’s believed to be on a low basic wage which is heavily weighted by appearances.

Not quite ‘pay as you play’, but something similar to what Andy Carroll is on at Newcastle United – a type of deal that is proving to be fairly common practice for players with a significant history with injuries.

But what hasn’t helped Williams' situation is the ‘two weeks away’ tagline associated with his return time. A phrase that Challinor admits has become something a running joke.

But for the player, that’s has been one of the toughest things to deal with.

“For me, the amount of times I’ve been given on the injury has been the toughest thing,” Williams admitted.

“Each time it’s happened, I’ve been given a fairly short return time so I got it in my head that I was going to be back soon but then when it came to it I wasn’t right and had to go away and start all over again.

“I know the set-backs have frustrated the fans and I’m as frustrated as they are but I know it’s been hard for them.

“You get the ones that aren’t on your side but you get that everywhere. The vast majority stand by you.”

With Challinor keen to reduce the size of his squad, the chances of Williams staying beyond the current season are unlikely.

But the Pools boss has hinted that there could be light at the end of the tunnel for the Hartlepool number 18.

“Luke is progressing quite well and running, he needs a hamstring deficiency resolving and getting it as strong as his right one,’’ Challinor said.

“We’re monitoring it weekly. There are different tests to check if the discrepancy is close and closer and we need to get to that point before he’s ready.”

Pools currently sit just inside the top half of the National League table in 12th, four points off the play-offs with 12 games remaining.

Any hope Williams could come back in time to significantly help Pools push for the top seven is slim, but it would be a fairytale end to what has otherwise been a nightmare for the player.

But the reality is the side need potential ‘match-winners’ like Williams fit and playing. The reason he’s at this level and not in the Football League is down to his inability to get fit and stay fit.

The 26-year-old’s next step in the summer is one Poolies will be keeping a very close eye on as his career hangs in the balance.