Chris Llewellyn joins Hartlepool United

Fellow Welshman
By Albatross
July 4 2005

Hartlepool United have signed Chris Llewellyn from Wrexham. The Welsh International joins for a fee reported as being about £40,000. Denis Smith had been quoted over the weekend as saying Pools had enquired about the former Norwich City player, and now the deal has been sealed.

Swansea-born Llewellyn came through the ranks at Norwich, and also made his way into the Welsh squad - but an injury-hit 2002/3 season saw him out on loan at Bristol Rovers before Nigel Worthington decided he was surplus to requirements at Carrow Road and he was released before the end of his contract. Although he operated as a forward at times, he spent time at left back, wing back and left wing as well.

Wrexham picked him up over the close season, and he was initially touted as being part of a "Dream Ticket" forward line alongside Chris Armstrong. Armstrong failed to sparkle, and Llewellyn didn't score too many early on either. Things picked up though, and he eventually managed eight for the season and performed well enough to earn a recall to the Welsh squad for the end of season friendlies with Canada and Norway that Mark Hughes was using to experiment with. He came on as a late replacement for Craig Bellamy in the game in Oslo.

Operating in midfield as well as up front last season he managed 12 goals in all competitions, but with Wrexham's well documented financial problems still in full swing a number of players have left - most notably Pools tormentor Juan Ugarte for Crewe - and Llewellyn has joined the exodus, reports suggesting he has signed for a fee reputed to be around £40,000. He had a year left on his contract at the Racecourse, but as one of the higher earners left at the club Wrexham will probably be pleased to have him off the wage bill and with some cash to boot.

Opinions from North Wales seem fairly mixed. A thread on the Red Passion Messageboard has some saying that he won't be too hard to replace and expressing astonishment that they've been able to get a fee for him, while others seem to think that his creativity and hard work up front - in a position he struggled to come to terms with - created plenty of opportunities and that he'll be missed. In many ways it sounds like he's a player that's got potential, but has yet to find the right position to fulfil it in.

The question to be asked is whether he will find that position at Victoria Park: where will he fit in? Pools certainly don't seem to be in need of more strikers - we already have good strength in depth in Boyd, Porter, Williams and Daly, and some promising youngsters in Appleby, Foley and Brown - and Jack Wikinson if he stays. Add in the fact that we're apparently interested in former Sunderland forward Michael Proctor and things are looking crowded up front. Attacking Midfield? We already have Sweeney and now Bullock, so again we seem to have plenty of options. Maybe on the wing - or even as a wing-back? That may be more likely.

Either way, Martin Scott is making signings - and the Pools squad is starting to flesh out. He's already said that he wants to aim for the top next season - can Llewellyn help us get there?