Colchester United's Tom Eastman set to make decision on Harrogate Town return 'after the weekend'

Tom Eastman in action during Harrogate Town's final-day-of-the-season draw with Rochdale at Wetherby Road. Pictures: Matt Kirkham

Simon Weaver hopes to find out in the coming days whether Tom Eastman wants to return to Harrogate Town on a permanent deal.

The 31-year-old centre-half made a big impression at Wetherby Road during the second half of the 2022/23 season, helping shore up a leaky back-line having joined on loan from League Two rivals Colchester United.

With his contract with his hometown club due to expire this summer, it was confirmed on Friday that the long-serving defender will be leaving the U’s after 464 competitive matches and become a free agent.

Harrogate have already made clear to Eastman himself, his family and his agent how much they would love him to bring him back to North Yorkshire and are now waiting on the Ipswich Town academy product to decide where he sees his immediate future.

Sulphurites boss Simon Weaver is a big fan of Tom Eastman.

Sulphurites boss Simon Weaver has revealed that geography is the main stumbling block, with Eastman’s family currently based down in Essex.

The Town chief does however anticipate getting an answer one way or another early next week.

“Easty knows how much we love him,” Weaver told the Harrogate Advertiser.

“We are waiting for him to come back to us with a decision and I think we will know after the weekend.

“Obviously he did really well for us and I know that he enjoyed his time here, but he has a young family who live quite some distance away, and so of course that’s a big consideration.

“His family all came up for our final game of the season. It was great to have them here and to meet them and they seemed to have a good day.

“We hope that he does want to return, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Eastman joined Town from Colchester late in the January transfer window having been frozen out by then U’s boss Matt Bloomfield.

He made his debut against Sutton United on January 28 and went on to play every minute of each of Harrogate’s next 19 matches.

That ever-present record ended on the final day of the season when he was replaced in the closing stages of the Sulphurites’ 1-1 draw with Rochdale, allowing veteran defensive colleague Rory McArdle to enjoy a brief run-out prior to his retirement.

In total, he made 21 appearances for Weaver’s team in 2022/23, scoring one goal, a second-half equaliser in April’s 2-2 home draw with Doncaster Rovers.