HARTLEPOOL United have added to their squad before their League Two season opening game tomorrow with the addition of goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell. 

Mitchell, 26, joins the club on a permanent deal after his release from Derby County and brings a lot of Football League pedigree. 

The goalkeeper becomes the third signing in two days for Pools following loans moves for Championship pair Tyler Burey and Matty Daly. 

He spent last season on loan with Northampton where he made 42 appearances and has had previous loan spells with Macclesfield, Shrewsbury Town, Oxford United and Luton Town. 

Mitchell was born and raised in Hartlepool but came up through the academy ranks at Newcastle United before a move to Derby in 2014. 

He comes in as the club's second first-team goalkeeper and will provide competition current number one Ben Killip. 

Mitchell said: "Brilliant to get it all sorted, get it done before the first game of the weekend.

"Getting back up north, back up home was a massive attraction and obviously watching on as a fan last year was always something that I looked at and you wanted to be a part of. 

"I've been in a couple of days training but there seems to be a really good atmosphere around the place, a feel good vibe and it's something I really want to be a part of and can't wait to get started."

Manager Dave Challinor added: "It was obviously a position we needed to fill. We were up and down a little bit in terms of what the profile was of the person we needed to bring in but to be able to bring in someone who played a full season in Legaue One last year, albeit in a side that didn't do as well as what they'd hoped.

"His experience will be really good when you add to that he's a Hartlepool lad and knows what the club's about and knows what the supporters are about.

"I think his transition into the squad and the football club will hopefully be seamless."