HARTLEPOOL United Tom Crawford has committed his future to the club by signing a new two-year contract.

The 22-year-old, whose deal was due to come to an end in the summer, become the first Pools player to commit his future to the club under manager Graeme Lee.

The midfielder struggled with injury and game time in his first season at the club after signing in the summer of 2020. But under Graeme Lee, he’s become a regular feature in the team making 32 appearances this scoring and scoring in their 1-1 draw with Sutton United.

Crawford, a technical operator in midfield, is now contracted until the summer of 2024. He said: “Delighted to get this over the line. It was a no brainer for me.

“I know this is the club I want to be at every time I walk out at The Suit Direct Stadium in front of our fans. I am now looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”

The club are in talks with a host of players with up to 12 out of contract in the summer including the likes of top scorer Luke Molyneux, defenders Jamie Sterry and David Ferguson along with goalkeeper Ben Killip. While Lee admitted that progress has been slower than he would have liked, the club are now close to securing the futures of a number of first-team players.

Lee added: “Delighted to get Tom tied down for the next couple of years. Since I’ve come in he has performed on a consistent level , He has got so much potential going forward and we hope to develop this while we progress with the team.

“With Tom now over the line, we are getting closer with the others and hope for some more announcements very soon.”