Darren Williams to sign for Hartlepool United

Vic Park
By Albatross
July 19 2005

The worst-kept secret of the close season is out: Darren Williams, the former Sunderland and Cardiff City defender, has passed a medical and should officially become a Hartlepool United player this afternoon the club have confirmed.

After weeks of rumours, the news is finally definate. With the medical out of the way, there are just a few loose ends to tie up before Williams finally signs for Pools on a free transfer to become yet another former Sunderland player to join up at Victoria Park.

A native of Middlesbrough, Darren Williams started his career with York City as a trainee. He didn't take long to make an impression though - he was still six months short of his 20th Birthday when Sunderland paid £50,000 for him, having made fewer than 30 appearances for the Minstermen.

Soccerbase report his debut for the Black Cats as coming in the Premiership against Coventry - but Williams' own memory (as reported in an interview with Sunderland Fanzine A Love Supreme) is of coming off the bench against Arsenal. The player he replaced that day incidentally was our new assistant manager Steve Agnew. Later that same year he scored against his home town team, his headed goal enough to give Sunderland the win and all but relegate Boro.

A midfielder and defender, Williams found himself part of the England u21 squad and also at one point playing for an England B Side at the end of the 1997/8 season. Williams had partnered Jody Craddock in the centre of defence for most of the season, and was one of the players on duty in the Playoff Final against Charlton that saw Sunderland go out on penalties after a 4-4 draw.

Despite that, when Sunderland did make it back to the top flight Williams found himself playing at right back more than in the middle - a role he has since continued in. "Dazzler" was not a spectacular performer, but was more of a hard-working solid player. Eventually he clocked up more than 100 Premiership starts.

The beginning of the end for Williams at the Stadium of Light really was the sacking of Peter Reid. Reid, who had originally signed him, had talked of Darren being one of the best bits of business he'd ever done for the club; Howard Wilkinson pretty well froze him out though and it was only when Mick McCarthy was appointed that he became a regular once more.

However Williams now had major competition at right back, in the form of Stephen Wright. He still started more than 20 times - and also came off the bench in the FA Cup against Pools - but the writing was on the wall: last season saw him slip further down the pecking order before he was allowed to leave for Cardiff, initially on loan but then permanently as McCarthy trimmed his squad. By the time he left, he was the longest-serving player at the club.

His time at Cardiff was marred somewhat by niggling injuries, but he'd done enough to suggest to some Bluebird fans that he was worth another deal; Lennie Lawrence agreed and an offer was put on the table. However things changed with Lawrence's departure: new boss Dave Jones - under the financial pressures that have already seen a number of players leave - withdrew the offer, leaving Williams as a free agent. Pools have moved to bring him back to the North-East.

Whether he plays at right back or centre half, Williams looks to be a more than useful acquisition for Pools. At 28 he's certainly no has-been, and we have someone who's spent the majority of his career at a higher level stepping in to a Pools defence that has a vacancy for a central defender and arguably a right back as well - both roles that he's done well in the past. The Pools squad is looking stronger than ever before.