Retained and Released List

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Tranmere Rovers Football Club can confirm the retained and released list following the conclusion of the 2022/23 season.

The following players remain in contract for the 2023/24 campaign: Tom Davies, Jordan Turnbull, Ethan Bristow, Ben Hockenhull, Kieron Morris, Brad Walker, Paul Lewis, Lee O’Connor, Reece McAlear, Josh Hawkes, Rhys Hughes, Harvey Saunders, Kane Hemmings, Charlie Jolley, Sam Taylor.


The Club is in discussions with the following players: Josh Dacres-Cogley, Chris Merrie, Joe Murphy.

The following players will depart the Club following the end of their contract: Jake Burton, Mat Hewelt, Joel Mumbongo, Kyle Jameson, Jon Nolan, Flo Hoti, Ryan Stratulis, Max Fisher, Arthur Lomax and Jack Williams.

The following players will return to their parent Clubs following the end of their loan spells at Prenton Park: Regan Hendry, Logan Chalmers, Jay Turner-Cooke, Paul Glatzel and Luke Robinson.

Manager Ian Dawes said: “I’d like to thank all those players who are leaving us and wish them the best of luck for the future.

“We’ve got a good group under contract for next season already. We have been looking at our recruitment targets for a number of weeks now and I look forward to building on the squad over the close season.”

 

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Only surprise to me was I thought Stratulis would get another year and that Hewelt might have been offered a deal to be back up. No mention of discussions with Hendry is disappointing also unless he has another year on his FGR contract?

 

[Sparky]

Dawes was very complementary yesterday about hendry so I’m sure we’ll try and sign him if we can.

Maybe we’re trying to persuade Murphy to be player coach but number 2 and look to bring in a proper number one so we don’t need hewlet. It frees up another wage. Jameson might have been worth another year as a squad player but again it frees up a wage. I always thought lomax looked half decent but again yesterday Dawes made it clear we’re looking at more experience this season so presumably less chances for youngsters unless they have shone in training

Pleased a lot of the dead wood has gone

 

[Higgy 2]

Surprised about Hewelt.
Also must be aiming high in terms of CB recruits if Jameson is released given we have two top CBs so he could be cheap cover.
Must be going for competition for places

 

[bigmart]

Only surprise to me was I thought Stratulis would get another year and that Hewelt might have been offered a deal to be back up. No mention of discussions with Hendry is disappointing also unless he has another year on his FGR contract?

Hendry is officially a FG player till contract expires end season. Stratulis did well in an appalling standard.
No real surprises and most will be fairly earners

 

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Hendry is officially a FG player till contract expires end season. Stratulis did well in an appalling standard.
No real surprises and most will be fairly earners

Thanks for that - I believe we could talk to him now given he is out of contract in June but your right probably the done thing not to broadcast it....

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Very encouraging, after producing no one for years having several 20 year old midfielders out on loan was farcical. Would have done all this myself. I'd make Lewis, Hockenhull, McAlear and Jolley available. Offer Hendry a deal. Accept money for Bristow, Hawkes and O'Connor is enough.
Something has changed and it wasn't Mellon leaving

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Dawes was very complementary yesterday about hendry so I’m sure we’ll try and sign him if we can.

I hope so as he is a decent player. If it was a straight choice between Hendry and Merrie, I would prefer the former, particularly if we are looking to play through the thirds next season.

Jameson was awful and was always going to be released, and I think it is also right to let Hewelt go, despite his slight improvement recently.

 

[Ian]

Of the retained list, my two concerns are Walker (seems injury prone) and Paul Lewis (not good enough) but it's good to see us getting rid of a lot of the dross.

 

[Sparky]

Of the retained list, my two concerns are Walker (seems injury prone) and Paul Lewis (not good enough) but it's good to see us getting rid of a lot of the dross.

What may help with Lewis and Walker is they are experienced pros so if they can stay fit it might mean more leadership on the pitch and being a bit more streetwise

 

[Am on mobile]

At least we know who is staying and going the last few years we have all been scratching our heads waiting for the tweet to say

 

[Am on mobile]

And yes good the dross is going

 

[Boz]

I’m surprised at Hewelt being released as he’d probably done enough to be a no 2 keeper. Joe Murphy’s fitness can’t be relied on, so a bit wary of having him as the no 2 keeper.

Also a little surprised at the cull of younger players, no development beyond Sam Taylor? From what we saw in the Pizza Cup, think at least Lomax maybe worth another punt.

JDC unlikely to stay unless something drastic has happened. I’d like Merrie to sign a new deal and wouldn’t be averse to Hendry signing on also.

 

[Boz]

Very encouraging, after producing no one for years having several 20 year old midfielders out on loan was farcical. Would have done all this myself. I'd make Lewis, Hockenhull, McAlear and Jolley available. Offer Hendry a deal. Accept money for Bristow, Hawkes and O'Connor is enough.

Something has changed and it wasn't Mellon leaving

Lewis signing was probably down to Dawes, MM didn’t seem to rate him that highly, while Jolley seems to be a Palios favourite, so doubt either of those will be leaving any time soon.

 

[Ian]

I really don't think we have the resources and after this season the inclination to be developing young players. Yes, we will still have quite a few on the books but that is not the priority now and as Dawes has admitted, we went too much down the youth route this season. We have to be brutal and work with a squad that will compete next season, instead of having fillers for pizza trophy games. Concentrating on youth will not move us any higher up the league next season. I'm glad we have got rid of quite a few of them to be honest.

I know we still have to make the right decisions regarding recruitment but hopefully they already have some targets in mind.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Palios emphasised yesterday that the youth development policy is very much here to stay. The balance of the squad may be slightly different next season, but I think it will still be a relatively young side.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

This list shows the club’s ambition. No compromises. We have released all the “squad players”, who are never going to make first-team regulars. We have everyone we wanted under contract, apart from JDC (who will surely go), Murphy (who will probably stay) and Merrie (who I hope will stay). The only one who is probably surplus to requirements is Hockenhull, who should never have got a two-year deal.

At least Dawes knows the players and could make an informed decision, unlike an outside appointment.

Looking at the players already under contract, this is the strongest retained squad I can remember. It’s a great foundation for next season. We probably need no more than six more senior players plus replacements for those who leave or are sold. I expect another four youngsters to arrive. Our record last season in signing teenagers who make the first team is one in four (Hughes), which is not bad. Hope we can offload Hockenhull, but that might be difficult.

While still recovering from Micky’s departure and being surprised at Dawes’ promotion, what has happened since has been extremely positive. There’s life in this club yet.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Looking at the players already under contract, this is the strongest retained squad I can remember.

We have got reasonable quality and numbers in defence and midfield. However, when you consider that we had Norwood, Cook and Jennings all under contract at one stage as a National League side, we are much worse off in the attacking areas than we have been historically.

 

[Ian]

Yes, the attacking situation has to be number one priority. We can't go another season with a toothless attack.

Hemmings creates a problem for me. He's one of the senior players, he still has a year left on his contract but playing him will not produce goals. Maybe he would work with someone alongside him that can score goals.

 

[bigmart]

Yes, the attacking situation has to be number one priority. We can't go another season with a toothless attack.

Hemmings creates a problem for me. He's one of the senior players, he still has a year left on his contract but playing him will not produce goals. Maybe he would work with someone alongside him that can score goals.

Hopefully we can offload Hemmings but I doubt anyone will take him.