Pools boss Craig Hignett has completed his third signing of the summer with a swoop for highly-rated goalkeeper Ben Killip from Braintree Town.
The 6ft 2ins stopper was one of the major highlights during a season of struggle for Braintree, as he turned in some superb performances between the sticks after joining The Iron last July.
His brilliant form in the early part of the campaign came at Pools’ expense when he produced an excellent save to deny Liam Noble from the penalty spot in our 1-1 draw at Cressing Road last August.
Killip’s eye-catching displays also won him recognition on the international front and he won two England C caps during 2018/19, playing against Estonia Under-23s in October and Wales in March.
Despite Braintree’s eventual relegation, skipper Killip still managed to keep an impressive ten National League clean sheets last term as he made his way on to Pools’ summer wish list.
The Isleworth-born keeper started out his career at Chelsea, joining the club as an Under-9 and working his way through the ranks to play for their Under-18s before joining Norwich City in 2013.
He built up his senior experience with loan spells at King’s Lynn Town and Lowestoft Town prior to joining Grimsby Town for a season before his move to Braintree where he made 38 appearances last season.
Pools have now fought off competition from several other clubs to finalise a deal to bring Killip to the North East.