Dan Martin joins South Shields on loan from Accrington Stanley

Msrtin, 19, ould make his debut for the Mariners in Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup tie at Marske United, subject to FA clearance.

Martin – a midfielder who is also comfortable playing at full-back – has been with Football League One side Accrington since Under-9s level and is hoping to catch the eye in his time at 1st Cloud Arena as he steps into senior football.

He said: “I’m delighted to be here and can’t wait to get going.

“I’ve heard a lot about the club and we’ve had a very good start to the season, and I’m just looking to do whatever I can to help keep that momentum going.

“I’ve met all the players and staff and it seems like a really good place to be, so it shouldn’t take me too long to settle in.

“I want to get some men’s football experience and as much game-time as possible, but I know I’m going to have to work hard for it.”

South Shields manager Graham Fenton said: “We’re really pleased that Dan has joined the squad.

“He has been on the radar for a while through our recruitment manager Andy Burgess, who has seen him play quite a few times and rates him very highly.

“We’re excited to see Dan pull on the South Shields shirt.

“He is a highly technical player who can play in a couple of different positions, and will give us plenty of options while we have a few injury issues.

“We really hope Dan enjoys his time at the club and are greatly looking forward to working with him.”

The club has also announced the new appointment of Blair Adams as captain of the first-team, with Callum Ross assuming the role of vice-captain.

Adams had previously served as vice-captain under the captaincy of Robert Briggs, who will continue to be a vital member of the squad.

Fenton added: “I’ve made the decision to change the captaincy of the first-team.

“Over the past few months, I’ve required the captain of the club to be at the training ground on a regular basis and due to Robert’s personal circumstances and work schedule, he has not been able to fulfil that responsibility.

“I felt that the decision we made to give Robbie the armband was the right one at that time as a natural progression from vice-captain to captain, but in hindsight it was possibly the wrong decision due to his availability for training on a daily basis.

“I’d like to thank Robbie for all the time, effort and professionalism he brought across the years in his roles as as vice-captain and captain.

“Making this change has been a really difficult decision but ultimately I feel that it’s the right one and that Robbie will still be able to show great leadership skills on and off the pitch moving forwards.

“Blair and Callum are able to commit to full-time training and will be here on a daily basis, so will be able to help pass on any messages we need to get across to the players.

“They both lead by example and are very popular members of the squad, and we wish them good luck in their new roles.”