Harrogate Town's 2020/21 loan stars will not return to the club

Both Josh McPake and Dan Jones impressed while on loan at Wetherby Road last term, but Sulphurites boss Simon Weaver does not expect the pair to play for him again.

Highly-rated attacker McPake made the temporary switch from Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers in January. His early form was somewhat up and down though he finished the season with a flourish, delivering a number of eye-catching performances down the left wing.

And, while it is anticipated that the 19-year-old will be sent out on loan by the Ibrox club once again in 2021/22, Weaver says the player has his sights set higher than another move to League Two.

“If you’re considering the loan players who have just gone back, the one who probably stands out the most is Josh McPake,” the Harrogate chief said.

“He did very well for us, but I don’t envisage him returning here. I know that he won’t want to come back to Harrogate because he wants to play higher up the ladder.

“Whether that’s playing games at Rangers or going out on loan again, I’m not sure. But I know he is aiming higher than League Two.”

Left-back Jones, 26, made 26 appearances in all competitions during his season-long stay with Harrogate and has subsequently been released by parent club Salford City.

And although Weaver is keen to add a left-sided defender, he will not be offering the ex-Barrow man a deal.

“We thank Dan for all his efforts while he was here. I like him a lot and we did speak about a deal at one point,” he added.

“But, both parties said that we wanted to have a look around and see what else was out there.

"There’s no animosity or anything like that, we’ve parted on good terms, however I want to find a left-back who really wants to play for Harrogate Town.”