Harrogate Town opt against offering deals to three trialists ahead of 2022/23 season

Harrogate Town have decided against offering terms to a trio of young players who spent an extended spell training with and playing for the club during pre-season.
Former Liverpool midfielder Luis Longstaff has been on trial at Harrogate Town. Pictures: Getty ImagesFormer Liverpool midfielder Luis Longstaff has been on trial at Harrogate Town. Pictures: Getty Images
Former Liverpool midfielder Luis Longstaff has been on trial at Harrogate Town. Pictures: Getty Images

Defenders Jude Russell and Levi Andoh and attacking midfielder Luis Longstaff all featured in a number of the League Two Sulphurites' friendlies this summer, but were not involved against Gateshead at the weekend.

And their absence was due to the fact that Town manager Simon Weaver had already made the call to let all three men explore their options elsewhere.

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Right-sided centre-half Russell was released by Premier League Brentford earlier this year. The 20-year-old spent time with Crystal Palace as a teenager and delivered a particularly accomplished performance during the second half of Harrogate's 3-0 loss to Championship Rotherham.

Levi Andoh playing for Worcester City back in 2019.Levi Andoh playing for Worcester City back in 2019.
Levi Andoh playing for Worcester City back in 2019.

Amsterdam-born Andoh, 20, was deployed by Weaver at right-wing-back. He left Ipswich Town at the end of last season and arrived at Wetherby Road following an unsuccessful trial period at League One Portsmouth.

"Jude did really well in the Rotherham game, but we felt like he's very similar to Miles [Welch-Hayes], who we have already signed," the Sulphurites boss told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"The situation with Levi is the same really. We didn't feel that either player really provided anything really different to what we already have.

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"Levi is a player with a lot of potential, but at the stage of his career that he is at, he definitely needs to be playing regular football this season, and that isn't something that we could have offered him here."

Former Liverpool prospect Longstaff travelled to Loughborough with Town's first-team squad earlier this month, along with Max Wright, who has subsequently signed a permanent deal with Harrogate.

The 21-year-old, who made one first-team appearance for Jurgen Klopp's men, spent part of last season on loan at Scottish League One team Queen's Park.

"Luis came through at Liverpool and has a lot of quality, he is very comfortable on the ball," Weaver added.

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"But, again, we already have options in the number 10 position, so we weren't able to offer him anything."

Town did field one trialist against Gateshead during what was their final pre-season outing, with that player opening the scoring in a 3-1 success.

And Weaver has subsequently revealed that this particular individual is "in the driving seat" in terms of filling the gap in his squad he still has for a "different option down the right-hand side."

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