Norwich City youngster expected to add power and goals to Harrogate Town's midfield

Twenty-year-old Frenchman William Hondermarck has joined on loan from Championship Norwich City and will remain at Wetherby Road until the end of 2020/21.

“He’s a big athlete and something different from what we’ve got in midfield,” said Harrogate manager Simon Weaver of the attack-minded left-footer.

“He’s someone with a really long stride but he’s a graceful player who will get box to box and make it happen in the attacking third.

“We’ll be looking at him to get in amongst it and create and provide goals. Will has made the commitment to come over to England to play and we know he’ll be dedicated, professional and hungry to play for us.”

Born in France before moving to Ireland at the age of five, Hondermarck began his professional career on the Emerald Isle and joined Drogheda United in 2018.

The midfielder made his senior debut as a 17-year-old in the Irish League Cup in April 2018. His league debut soon followed that May.

He made 17 first-team appearances throughout his debut 2018/19 season before attracting the interest of Norwich City.

He moved to East Anglia in January 2019 and has impressed playing in the Canaries’ under-18s and under-23s sides, where he came to the attention of Weaver.

Hondermarck follows Forest Green Rovers striker Josh March into the club, the 23-year-old having joined on a season-long loan deal of his own earlier in the week.

Boss Weaver has made no secret of his intention to strengthen a squad lacking depth in certain areas, and more arrivals are expected by the end of the week.

A third loan move for a versatile attacking player is on the verge of being finalised, while a permanent transfer for a defender is also in the pipeline.

“These are all good players who will make a difference,” the Town chief said of his January targets.

“We’re not in for stocking-fillers, we’ve gone for lads who will come in and be competing for starting places immediately.

"We need players who are able to hit the ground running.”

Prior to landing Hondermarck and March, Weaver had already added midfielder ex-Manchester City midfielder Ed Francis – a free agent following his departure from Wolves – and is not ruling out further incomings later in the window.

“We might potentially look at a couple of others,” he said.

“We could do with some cover at left-back and maybe another option at the top end of the pitch, but it would most likely be one or the other, rather than both.”