New Hartlepool United defender vows to make Pools fans proud after signing from Kidderminster Harriers
New Hartlepool United defender Reiss McNally is determined to make Pools fans proud after signing for the club on Friday.
The 24-year-old centre-back became new manager Simon Grayson's second summer signing when he completed a move from National League North side Kidderminster Harriers last week, following hot on the heels of versatile midfielder Brad Walker, who returned to Victoria Park for a second stint having made 123 appearances for Pools at the beginning of his career.
McNally, who impressed during a loan stint from Solihull Moors before signing a permanent deal with Kidderminster in May 2023, went on to make more than 100 appearances at the historic Aggborough Stadium. Renowned as a composed, ball-playing centre-back, McNally was part of the Harriers side that kept an impressive 21 clean sheets last term as Kiddy secured their place in the National League North play-offs, losing out to Chester in the semi-finals; in spite of having the best ever win record of any permanent Harriers boss, manager Phil Brown was sacked at the end of the campaign after failing to lead the Worcestershire outfit back to the National League.
Despite missing out on promotion, McNally drew plaudits for his assured performances throughout the season, playing 45 times and attracting interest from a number of clubs. Pools were rumoured to have pipped Carlisle, who have already splashed the cash this summer, to the versatile defender's signature.
Now, the new man is determined to make his mark as he bids to give long-suffering Pools fans something to shout about following a frustrating spell languishing in the footballing doldrums.
"I'm really excited to be joining the club," McNally told the official Pools website.
"I know the fanbase is really strong, so I can't wait to play in front of them.
"The gaffer coming in is someone with lots of experience, so hopefully I can benefit from that. There's a really passionate fanbase here, so I'm hoping we can give them something good to watch this season.
"I like to class myself as a ball-playing defender, I'm comfortable in possession. Last season - and in previous seasons - we had a good record at Kidderminster with our clean sheets. That's something that's been instilled in us with all the managers that we've had. I take pride in my defensive unit, not conceding many goals and being strong. I think it's a good building block for any team.
"I've had a few conversations (with Simon Grayson). I think one of the main things is that we want fans to be proud of what they're watching. You can do that by winning games, most importantly. I think the aim is just to win as much as possible and then build on last season.
"I can't wait to play in front of the fans, I hope we give a good account of ourselves in the season coming up."