More Town Youngsters Worry Over Future

By: Richard Lord
Date: 17/03/2002

AFTER Grimsby Town earlier this week released David Morgan and Ross Thompson from the squad, two more promising young players in Chris Bolder and Graham Hockless are sweating on their future at Blundell Park.

The Hull duo have been described as great prospects, but both know that their one-year deals may not be renewed in the summer.

Hockless, whom the Tigers for not being tall enough released, faces an anxious wait as he suffered a recurrence of a hip injury in the 1-0 defeat at Blackpool in midweek.

Speaking to the Sports Telegraph, the 19-year old said: "It will be a sleepless night every night until I find out. I can't think about anything else. If you're fit you can try and play your way to another deal, but in my situation I'm helpless.

"It was my first start and I only played for an hour before I got banged on it again."

Hockless is now hoping that he has done enough this season to impress the management team. Paul Wilkinson described the youngster as the 'best of the bunch' for his technical ability.

Chris Bolder has been frustrated this season after he was close to getting a first-team call, only to break his fingers days before and rule himself out of a call-up.

"It's gone reasonably well for me," said Bolder. "Better than I expected to be honest. It's disappointing to get so close and then get injured and I never expected to be in and around the first-team squad.

"With the end of the season coming up and me being out of contract I need to play. The contract thing is constantly on your mind. You can't not think about it."

The tough-tackling midfielder believes that a lot rests on the Mariners' plight for the rest of the season, as he concluded: "I think we'll have to wait until we can see where the club is."

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