Tuesday 24 May 2016 16:04, UK
Hartlepool have signed teenage defensive duo Ben Pollock and James Martin following trials at the club.
Pollock, who is the son of former Middlesbrough and Manchester City midfielder Jamie, is an 18-year-old centre-back. He spent time training with Pools towards the end of the season and impressed in games for the reserve and youth teams.
He had spells at Boro and Leeds as a youngster before joining Newcastle as a scholar two years ago. After hearing he was to be released by the Magpies, Pools boss Craig Hignett moved quickly to bring him to Victoria Park.
"We spotted potential in Ben and he did very well during his trial period," Hignett told the club's official website. "The thing with Ben is that his attitude is unbelievable; he's a good kid who is hungry and ambitious to do well in the game.
"He's eager to learn all the time and that's something I want from everyone in the squad, so those are the types of characters we will be trying to bring in to the club."
Martin is a 17-year-old left-back who played for Hartlepool in a friendly game against Fulham and also a youth-team fixture at Bradford. He has also penned his first professional contract at Victoria Park
"James is another who has caught our eye and has great potential," Hignett added. "He's a talented full-back who is aggressive out of possession and positive when on the ball, so we saw plenty there to work with and we're delighted to get him on board."
