Key update on Nicky Featherstone's Hartlepool United future

Featherstone made a remarkable reunion with Hartlepool earlier this month having been allowed to leave the club in the summer after the two parties failed to agree terms over a new deal.

It brought an end to a near nine-year stay for Featherstone at Victoria Park, having made 380 appearances for the club – a feat which put him eighth in the club’s all-time list of appearance makers.

Featherstone had expressed his disappointment at being unable to return to the club in the summer but continued to train elsewhere with the likes of Stockport County while waiting for an opportunity.

But with Hartlepool boss John Askey seeing his side hit by a string of injuries, particularly in the midfield area, Pools reached back out to their former skipper before coming to terms on a short-term contract.

Featherstone has played in every game since making his second debut for the club against Boreham Wood which has now seen him climb above Brian Honour into seventh on the club’s all-time list.

But with Pools set to head into a two-week break from their season – with no fixture next week due to being eliminated from the FA Cup, Featherstone could be about to make his final appearance for the club should a fresh deal not be agreed.

"It’s just a matter of speaking to Nicky and seeing what his thoughts are,” Askey told BBC Radio Tees on Featherstone’s future.

"He’s come in to try and help us when we’ve been really short in midfield. We’ve got a decent relationship with him where we can talk it through and hopefully he wants to stay a little bit longer.”