Whitley’s latest pre-season signing is Lewis Orrell, a 19 year old midfielder with previous experience at Hartlepool United and Whickham. Manager Nathan Haslam believes the youngster is a great prospect who could go on to play at a higher level in the game. “I’ve know about Lewis for 2-3 years. He went to Hartlepool on a scholarship but left because there were financial issues there and his first season into the Northern League was last year with Whickham. As an 18 year old, physically he perhaps wasn’t ready for the rigours of the Northern League which probably explains why he wasn’t a regular in their team, but over the last 6 months he’s physically developed a lot. I think we can give him a great platform to develop into a player that will go on to higher levels. He’s a great midfielder and very versatile. He can play all across midfield. He’s got great ball retention and good passing. He just needs experience now and he’s going to get that with us.”
We would like to welcome Lewis to Whitley Bay and we hope he enjoys his time with us!