Heed trial for midfield playmaker
GATESHEAD are looking at young former Doncaster Rovers schemer Lirak Hasani during pre-season.
The 20-year-old made 16 appearances, including 11 in League One, for his hometown club before being released this summer.
He also played one game on loan at Gateshead during the 2020/21 campaign and is now looking to join the Heed on a permanent basis.
Hasani was one of the three trialists and three academy players employed in Tuesday’s 2-1 friendly defeat at neighbours Dunton UTS.
Like an unnamed trialist centre-half he looked much better when a host of first-team players were introduced at the break.
There were still eight senior squad members not involved at Dunston, including a quartet of new players; Dan Jarvis, Aaron Martin, Lewis Knight and goalkeeper Dan Langley.
The Newcastle loanee was put through his paces after the game by former Magpies keeper Rob Elliot, one of Gateshead’s back room staff on the night.
Langley is likely to start in Saturday’s tricky warm-up game at Spennymoor Town where the Tynesiders will field a much stronger squad.
That could see the return of Adam Campbell at the Brewery Field following a long-term knee injury. Player-manager Mike Williamson was one of the players that didn’t feature at Dunston, a game he felt was a decent run out.
He said: “It was a difficult evening. The pitch was dry and unpredictable, the ball was sticking, but regardless of that we got good minutes in.
“The first 45 was very young and we had a couple of trialists in mixed with a few first team players, so it was a really good exercise.
“It’s never easy playing in conditions when they’re hot and sticky, but we got stronger as the game went on, which was expected.
“It was just a shame we couldn’t finish off a couple more chances.”
It’s never easy playing in conditions when they’re hot and sticky, but we got stronger as the game went on Mike Williamson