Talks on contracts delayed until end of season for Heed players

GATESHEAD are now unlikely to tie down any of their players for the 2019/20 season before the end of the current campaign.

It is a risky policy, with several Heed players expected to be on the radar of other clubs.

All players at Gateshead are on one-year contracts, with several impressing for a side that has mounted a play-off push.

Manager Ben Clark said: “We have got good players at the football club and we obviously want to hold on to our assets.

“There’s been early negotiations with a few players, but I don’t want to unsettle what we have in the changing room.

“I’m going to put it on the backburner until the end of the season when we’ll have a conversation with all the players.

“We’ve got a good changing room, we’re doing really well and I want to try and focus on that.”

Defenders Scott Barrow, Fraser Kerr and Jon Mellish are in their second year at Gateshead, along with schemers Tom White and Elliot Forbes.

Former Luton Town left-sided player JJ O’Donnell is the longestserving player, having joined the club in 2014.

Gateshead are operating on a small budget and it is unclear whether that will rise next season.

Former manager Steve Watson will doubtless try to tempt some Heed players to Conference North outfit York City.

Hartlepool boss Craig Hignett could be another interested party.