Out of contract defender Ryan Johnson not thinking about his future at Hartlepool United with full focus on play-off promotion

After initially signing a short term deal at Victoria Park in September, Johnson’s impressive performances for Pools saw his stay extended until January and then until the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

And with Sunday’s National League play-off final potentially being the defender’s last game for the club, he insists that his focus at the moment is on helping the club earn promotion to the Football League.

“It’s a great club Hartlepool but I don’t really want to be thinking about [my future] right now because we’ve got [a] really important game to go,” Johnson told The Mail.

"I’ve enjoyed my time here. It definitely helps having my teammates around me – I stay in the house with a few of the lads and it’s amazing that we bond so well on and off the pitch.”

After initially arriving at Pools as a back-up defender, Johnson has seized his opportunity to become one of the first names on the team sheet.

"I think that’s been down to me focusing in and really believing in myself,” he added. “I’ve had an up and down career so far but this season has been consistent.

"I’ve struggled with being consistent in the past but this season with the run of games that I’ve had, I’ve been able to find a consistency with my performances that I try to stick to.”

On the play-offs, Johnson continued: “[Promotion] is the aim. As a club with the stature of Hartlepool, that’s where we do belong. It would be nice to get there and hopefully we can do it.”

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Hartlepool United coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription to our new sports-only package here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor