'That's what I need' - Connor issues transfer warning as striker JJ Hooper returns to Blyth Spartans

Michael Connor has called for patience as he continues to strengthen his Blyth Spartans ranks ahead of his first home game in charge when Matlock Town visit Croft Park on Saturday.

The process of improving the squad he inherited from David Stockdale kicked off last week with loan deals for goalkeeper Adam Richardson and defender Ben Fell as they joined from Sunderland and Gateshead respectively. Connor’s attacking options were increased on Thursday when JJ Hooper returned to the club after scoring 11 goals in 25 appearances in the National League North last season - and the Spartans boss revealed that was a move that brought an end to a frustrating ten days at Croft Park.

Speaking after concluding the deal, Connor said: “We’ve worked for a week and a half on bringing a striker in. We have been very reliant on Mitch Curry to hold the line and carry the line. It’s good to get a proven goalscorer through the door and somebody that Blyth fans love already. It’s been hard work to get somebody in but it’s great to get JJ through the door.”

A defensive addition and another striker sit high on the agenda as Connor remains enthusiastic to bring in further players over the coming weeks to aid in the battle against a second consecutive relegation. However, the new Spartans boss also issued a warning that it may take time to persuade potential additions to join the club after they came through a challenging period.

He told The Gazette: “We need to get credibility back as a club after what’s happened and that can take a little bit of time. It may come nearer Christmas, when players start looking at us that way because we know there is work to do. There have been free agents in contact already but we couldn’t offer the amount of money they were asking for. Players will get paid and they will get looked after but they have to be willing to come here and work for the badge. That’s what I need, that’s what the club needs right now and we need to make sure we have players in the squad aren’t just here for money but want to help us get out of the situation we are in.”

Connor went on to praise the support given to him by former Spartans manager Tom Wade, the man that led the club to the FA Cup third round a decade ago. The duo were in the dugout for the first time during last weekend’s defeat at Warrington Rylands and have been working hard to add to their squad over the course of the last week. Connor stressed the importance of having an experienced head alongside him and revealed he wanted the backing of one of his predecessors at Croft Park as they look to help the club move on from a difficult period.

He said: “Tom has been a massive help for me and he’s phoning managers, speaking to players and seeing who we can get to come in and help us. We know where we are lacking, we know where we need to be better and I am just buzzing to improve this squad. I wanted Tom to come in, I’ve known him a lot of years and he’s a good friend of mine, he knows the club, he knows the town and I wanted him to come in and see how he feels. He’s been great, we’ve just had another 35-minute conversation talking about players, talking about what we can do. When I’m 150 miles-an-hour, he’s more calm and methodical.”