WILSON KNEESHAW could return to Darlington and will be offered the chance to train with his hometown club.

The striker sustained a long-term injury towards the of last season, ruling him out until midway through 2019-20 meaning considering whether to offer a deal was never an option for Quakers boss Alun Armstrong.

However, Armstrong does foresee Kneeshaw returning to Blackwell Meadows at some point.

He said: “I’ll speak to Wilson, but he’s going to be out long-term because he ruptured his achilles. I did that and it changes your game.

“I did it when I was at Middlesbrough when we’d just got promoted to the Premier League and it’s a tough one to come back from, you keep hitting brick walls.

“It could be a six-month minimum for Wilson before he gets back to playing, and then you’ve got to get your match fitness.

“We’ll see what the lad wants to do, but he’ll be welcome to come and train with us, definitely.”

Armstrong’s squad is slowly coming together with nine signings so far, while trialist midfielders Osagi Bascome and Omar Holness are now included on squad list on Darlington’s website, despite the club being yet to announce they have signed deals with Quakers.

Meanwhile, former Darlington player Joe Rayment has died at the age of 84.

He made 173 appearances and scored 28 goals for Quakers, playing from 1958-65.

One of his games was the Football League Cup third round tie in 196-61, when 21,023 squeezed into Feethams, the ground’s highest ever attendance.

Speaking to The Northern Echo in 2011, Joe said: “Feethams was a perfect little ground, I loved it and it’s a great shame what happened to it. I remember before the Bolton match crowds right around the cricket ground next door.”

A diminutive outside right, he said. “I was five foot four-and-a-half and about eight-and-a-half stones. I wouldn’t care, all I ever wanted to be was a centre forward.”

Joe also played for hometown club Hartlepools United and began his playing days with Middlesbrough before heading to Gateshead after leaving Quakers.