Hebburn Town begin summer recruitment with two new signings

The pair become the Hornets' first signings of the summer, having recently seen the departure of four members of last season's squad.

The arrival of frontman Martin following his recent departure from Bishop Auckland will help soften the blow of Amar Purewal's move to Stockton Town.

Purewal, who spent five years with the club and scored 82 goals in 178 appearances during that time, saw his move to the Anchors confirmed earlier this month.

Adding firepower to their forward line, 34-year-old Martin scored five goals in 24 appearances for Bishop Auckland as they finished 11th in the NPL East Division last season.

Having come through the ranks at Middlesbrough before moving abroad, Martin notably spent a number of seasons in Iceland, winning silverware in the top flight in 2013 with KR Reykjavik and also lifting the Icelandic Cup and Super Cup.

The forward has also played in Hungary, Norway and Belgium during his impressive 15-year career.

“It’s great to be here,” he said following the move.

“It didn’t take long and it was an easy decision. I spoke to Bobby [Daniel Moore] on Friday morning, and by the night, everything was agreed and I met everyone at the presentation night.

“I’m really excited about coming here. It’s a chance for me to show what I’m about [and] I feel like I’ve got a point to prove after last season.

“It looks like a tough pre-season, but I can’t wait to get stuck in and be playing here.”

Confirmation of Martin's arrival comes just 24 hours after Wood joined the club from Newton Aycliffe.

He captained his former club last season, making a club-high 52 appearances in all competitions as they finished two points adrift of the NPL East Division play-offs.

Spending over six years at Newton Aycliffe, he became an instrumental member of their squad and helped them clinch the Northern League Division One title back in 2022/23, earning them promotion to Step 4.

“I’m happy to get it sorted," Wood said.

“Bobby [Daniel Moore] has spoken to me a few times down the years, and now it feels like the right time to take it on.

“It’s feels like a new challenge - the plans the club have are fantastic and it’s a really exciting opportunity."