Hartlepool United will compete in the National League Cup for the first time this season, with Manager Lee Clark believing the competition will provide a vital stepping stone for the Club’s emerging young talent.

Speaking to BBC Radio Tees, Clark explained that the introduction of an Under-21 side and a full-time Loans Manager made entering the competition a natural next step as the Club continues to strengthen its player development pathway.

“It’s important to get this message across to our fans,” said Clark.

“Obviously, the Club weren’t in it last season and they had their reasons, but with the change around in the academy structure this year, with an Under-21 team coming into the Club and a full-time Loans Manager, we felt this was necessary.

“It’s the next step for those young lads to get big-game experience, playing at the stadium and in front of supporters. It’s also an opportunity for our fans to see the next generation and local lads representing the Club. I’m big on giving young players opportunities, so we felt it would defeat the objective of putting those building blocks in place if we didn’t take up this opportunity.”

Clark was keen to be open with supporters about how Hartlepool will approach the competition, confirming it will primarily be used to aid the development of the Club’s younger players.

“I want to be really open and honest with the fans whenever I can,” he continued.

“We’ll be using this competition for young players to gain experience, but I still hope the fans will come along and support them because they’re the next generation.

“We’ve had a big turnover of players this summer, but you can’t keep doing that every year. You want a solid squad with a strong core, and if you’ve got academy players coming through who can help the first team, that’s hugely beneficial. It means you’re not constantly having to recruit.”

While the National League Cup will provide valuable opportunities for younger players, Clark reiterated that Hartlepool’s ambitions remain unchanged in the National League, Emirates FA Cup and Isuzu FA Trophy.

“The league, the FA Cup and the FA Trophy are competitions we’ll go into with our strongest possible team to try and win every game,” he said.

“This tournament is about helping develop our academy system. Of course, we want the young players to be successful in it, but its main purpose is their development.”

The competition will also provide Clark and his coaching staff with the opportunity to assess how academy players cope with the demands of senior football in a competitive environment.

“It gives us a real opportunity to see the lads in a tough environment, playing good teams, in front of supporters and at the stadium.

“You see how they react to those occasions because that’s all part of making decisions. Some might show they’re ready to come into the first-team group sooner than expected, while others may take a little longer, and that’s absolutely fine. We’re prepared to be patient because this is about development.”

Building the new Under-21 squad has been a significant undertaking, with Clark praising the work carried out behind the scenes by Academy staff.

“It’s been starting from a blank canvas,” he said.

“Alex and Jonathan have been superb with their recruitment. They’ve put a huge amount of work into coaching sessions and trial games to identify the right players.

“We’ve already had meetings about loan opportunities because we want these lads experiencing competitive football at the right level. Whether they’re playing in our programme or out on loan, if they go out they’ll come back and play in the National League Cup because we see that as an important part of their development.”

Clark also confirmed that several of the Club’s exciting young summer signings have been recruited specifically to challenge for first-team places.

“The likes of Terry Bondo and Charlie Penman have come in to be part of our senior squad,” he explained.

“I’ve always had a history of giving young players opportunities and if they impress during pre-season they’ll get those chances.

“The young lads have been excellent in the first couple of weeks. They’ve put every effort in, they’ve taken on board what we’re trying to do and they couldn’t have given us any more.”

Attention has also remained firmly on strengthening the senior squad ahead of the new National League campaign, with Clark delighted by the progress made during the summer recruitment window.

“I’m absolutely delighted with the business we’ve done,” he said.

“The work behind the scenes from Chris Beach, Chris Maxwell, Adam Clayton, Gary Liddle and myself has been phenomenal. A lot of these deals have taken weeks to complete.

“From the first meeting after I was appointed, we knew exactly the type of players and personalities we wanted to bring in and every player we’ve signed excites us for different reasons.”

While Hartlepool are still looking to add to the squad before the season begins, Clark believes the patience shown throughout the recruitment process will pay dividends.

“We’ve got a couple more positions to fill, but if you want real quality it takes time.

“We’re close with those final pieces of the jigsaw and once they’re done we’ll have the squad where we want it.

“I’m pleased we’ve not had to rely on the loan market because all of these players are ours. We could have filled the squad quickly, but they wouldn’t necessarily have been the right fit. We’ve stayed patient to get the right characters and the right identity.”

As pre-season fixtures begin, Clark says attention now turns to building fitness, implementing his style of play and ensuring every player gets valuable minutes before the National League campaign begins.

“The games now come thick and fast,” he said.

“We’ll continue building the fitness levels needed for the high-intensity football we want to play, while also increasing the tactical work. Everyone will get opportunities during pre-season.”

After returning to management this summer, Clark admitted he has relished being back on the training pitch.

“I’ve loved it,” he smiled.

“My kit bag was packed three days before the players came back. I couldn’t wait to get going again.

“You get a real buzz from working with the players and seeing their enthusiasm. It’s brilliant to see the supporters excited as well because it’s been a tough few years for them.

“We want to give them a team they can be proud of. I’ve seen this club at its best, I know what the supporters can bring when they’re given something to shout about, and the number of season tickets sold shows they’re buying into what we’re trying to build.

“Now it’s up to us to give them a team they can enjoy watching.”