Gary Liddle - staying

By Clarence Rode
May 26 2009

Gary Liddle has accepted Hartlepool United’s terms for a new contract, and that has to be regarded as good news for the club. Liddle may not have had his best season in 2008-09, but he wasn’t alone in a bad season for most players and most of the fans who have seen him regularly know that he can do a lot better than that.

The even better news is that Chris Turner sees him as a central midfield player, rather than as a full-back, where he was pressed into playing several times last season.

That means Liddle, Antony Sweeney, Richie Jones, Jonny Rowell, Alan Power, Richie Humphreys and Willie Boland (if fit) are all competing for two places in the team, assuming that Andy Monkhouse and Leon McSweeney play wide left and wide right.
If only Liddle can get out of the awful habit of turning in a circle and going backwards when he gets the ball, he’ll get close to the player he was when he first signed for Pools from Bore-o three years ago.
he’s still only 22 and Turner is quite right when he says he has the potential to be a very important member of the squad with the potential to ply at a higher level.
Liddle’s decision means that of the four players offered new contracts, only Michael Nelson has so far not taken up the club’s offer.
With Hibs and Norwich amongst the clubs allegedly interested, it could be some time before he comes to a decision.