DARRELL Clarke will report for pre-season training with Hartlepool United next week desperate to put his injury misery behind him.

The midfielder spent last season on the sidelines as two separate knee injuries ruled him out.

And now, with Martin Scott appointed manager, the 27-year-old, who moved to Pool from Mansfield in 2001, will be hoping to return to the fold.

The luckless midfielder is out of contract on Friday, and earlier this year Clarke admitted he feared for his future at Pool, but Scott says a new deal will be there for him.

Clarke was diagnosed with knee trouble last August, returned for the reserves before Christmas and went out on loan to Stockport with the idea of coming back fit for Pool's promotion push.

But, just half an hour into his first game for Stockport, he suffered a further knee injury and his season was ended.

And Scott revealed: "Darrell was chomping at the bit to get back last season. He wanted to be in the first team squad at the end of the season, never mind the reserves.

"But I sat him down and explained the situation at the time. He's a great lad to have around the club, and it would have been stupid to throw him in. He needed more work and more training.

And the boss added: "He's got to work all summer and hopefully come back a lot stronger next season.

"He is out of contract and he knows his season has been lost.

"Darrell has had a tough time of late and it is the right decision to keep him here. He has been missed on and off the pitch.''

Walsall yesterday announced that Pool defender Chris Westwood will sign on at the Bescot Stadium on Friday.

* Pool's new all-black away kit will be sponsored by DNO next season, meaning each of Pool's three kits will sport a different shirt sponsor. Dove Energy sponsor the home kit and owners IOR the third choice red and white strip. DNO, a Norwegian oil company, sponsored Pool for three years from 2001.

*Despite twice being rebuffed in the transfer market this summer while other League Two clubs have made progress, Mark Proctor says Darlington are to remain patient in their attempts to bring in fresh blood.

Striker Simon Johnson arrived on a free from Leeds last week but both Mathew Tipton, who signed for Mansfield yesterday, and Colin Larkin have turned Quakers down. Chester, Boston, Wycombe and Grimsby have each signed around five players.

One of Grimsby's new signings is Tom Newey, with Darlington on loan two years ago, but despite letting several players go at the end of last season, Quakers' assistant manager is not panicking yet.

"It's been very busy, we did quite a bit of firing and now we're trying to do a bit of hiring," he said.

"You get a million phone calls every day from agents and it's quite difficult getting through all the CVs and finding a player that's going to enhance the squad.

"Boston have been big spenders, they've pushed the boat out and spent a bit. We haven't dived in, you've got to be brave and bold.

"We are being patient and we only want to sign players who are going to improve the squad.

"There's plenty of players available, thousands were released last season, it's sifting through and identifying the correct ones that's the difficult part."

* Craig Hignett is weighing up his options after being offered a deal to play in Cyprus.

Read more about Hartlepool here.