Hartlepool United sign Neill Byrne for 'undisclosed fee' from Halifax Town

The defender is the third summer signing following the arrival of ex-Chesterfield midfielder Martin Smith, with defender Reagan Ogle joining earlier in the week.

Byrne, 27, came through the academy with Nottingham Forest from the age of 14 before joining Rochdale, while he also had loan spells at Barrow and Southport.

The 6ft 4” defender has also featured for AFC Telford United, Macclesfield Town and Gateshead before moving to Fylde under Dave Challinor in 2018.

He has also represented Republic of Ireland youth at international level and Challinor has revealed that he is a player he tried to bring into Pools last season, however, he opted to sign for Halifax.

Challinor hopes Byrne will prove to be a ‘great asset’ for Pools in League Two ahead of the new season getting underway on August 7.

Challinor said: “Neill is someone I’ve worked with before.

"He was a big part of the success at Fylde.

"We tried to bring him in last season but due to different circumstances, he went to Halifax.

"He had a great season there and that’s why we have gone back for him and payed a fee. He is certainly what we need heading into this EFL season and the different options he gives us, will be highly important.

“He has great experience and almost feels like he has unfinished business in his career. He will be a great asset for us in the EFL League two,” added the Hartlepool United boss.

Earlier in the day, Pools completed their second signing of the summer with the arrival of ex-Chesterfield midfielder Martin Smith.

Smith, who started his career at Sunderland, has signed a permanent deal at The Vic, the length of which has not been revealed.

Smith has also played in Scotland and Northern Ireland with Kilmarnock and Coleraine respectively before joining Salford in 2019.

A move to Chesterfield followed and he was an unused substitute during Pools’ 3-1 victory against the Spirities at The Vic in May.