Extra signings that Hereford should make this summer

Hereford have already made a couple of smart additions to their ranks.

Goalkeeper Aaron Chapman has arrived to replace the outgoing Curtis Pond, and they have also signed Cosmos Matwasa (from Brackley Town), wide player Chay Tilt and more recently striker Montel Gibson.

Boss Paul Caddis still has some work to do during the summer, and so I look at areas of the squad in which I think he could benefit from strengthening and thus identify possible targets to consider.

Mael Davies (Penybont)

The first player on this list is Penybont’s Mael Davies. Hereford have made good use of the Welsh market under Paul Caddis, with a couple of players signing for The Bulls from the Welsh leagues, and so this is another that I would like to see. As an option to cover on both sides but primarily to give competition for Hereford at right-back, I think that youngster Davies would be an impressive capture.

Davies would follow the recent trend of players from the Wales C side in making the move to the sixth tier, following suit with Kelland Absalom and Emlyn Lewis in moving to England having impressed in the Welsh league and also doing likewise with Wales C. Davies is a modern-day, attacking full-back that is nippy, intricate, good with the ball at his feet, quick, provides a good outlet down the right-hand side and perhaps gives The Bulls a little bit more attacking output and endeavour to what they currently have at their disposal.

The defender is 25 years of age and so he is entering his prime years, and he is a good investment for The Bulls as someone with a high ceiling and the ability to move up the pyramid. He is formerly of the Swansea City academy and so he has been taught how to play the game in the right way and pass out from the back under pressure, and I think that he is one of the best full-backs that the Welsh leagues have to offer. I’d push the boat out to bring him into the club on a free.

Brad Gascoigne (Tamworth)

One area that Hereford need to strengthen their squad during the summer is at centre-back. One player who is available after their release at the end of the season and who would offer Hereford the adage of experience of getting out of the division at the right end is now former Tamworth defender Brad Gascoigne.

Hereford have their own ambitions of being promoted out of the National League North, and so the fact that Gascoigne was on the books with Tamworth as they romped to the sixth tier title last season under Andy Peaks would be invaluable in helping this Bulls side to do similar. At 30 years of age, Gascoigne is a player that has vast amounts of experience in the division and in what is a largely youthful backline, his nous and knowhow would be helpful. He is a good leader, is vocal, organises well, and is a strong out-and-out defender.

I am one for bringing in players that have an allegiance and connection to the football club, and Gascoigne is a player that has been at the football club – albeit the former Hereford incarnation – before and so a return is a move that I feel he would be open to. Gascoigne is strong aerially, is combative in the tackle and he is a robust type. He reads the game well, and I think he is the perfect addition to the Hereford backline.

David Davis (Forest Green Rovers)

Hereford need to add another central midfielder to their ranks this summer, and one player that I would consider signing is David Davis. Released at the end of the 2023-24 campaign by Forest Green Rovers, Davis is an experienced player that Hereford manager Paul Caddis knows well personally. As such, I think that he could be a logical option to explore ahead of the new season.

Davis was on the books at Birmingham City when Caddis was with The Blues, and so there is a previous there between Caddis and Davis on which to navigate such deal. Hereford have a fairly young squad and have largely more youthful options in the middle of the park with the Aurio Texiera, and I think that Davis would make for the perfect complement to him with his experience and strong understanding of the game.

He is a strong professional that would set the standard, and would provide a good technical quality in possession that stems from a career at a much higher level. As far as geography goes, Hereford would be a fairly local option for his Birmingham roots and so this makes sense, given that he would unlikely want to relocate at his age. He has been in the National league on loan with Solihull Moors and found game time hard to come by with Forest Green Rovers, and this would be a coup for The Bulls to land him. A robust, tough-tackling midfielder that sits deep, he would be a top performer for the level.

Kyle Belmonte (Worcester City)

I am always going to be an advocate for clubs signing players from a lower level. One player that particularly impressed me last season and who is both local and good enough to make the step up (in my opinion) is midfielder Kyle Belmonte. he has excelled for lower league outfit Worcester City and had a particularly strong campaign in 2023-24, and despite Worcester City being promoted, I think that they should make a move for him.

When you look at the number of goals that Belmonte scored in 2023-24, you are perhaps mistaken for thinking that Belmonte is a striker. However, the fact that he is an attacking midfielder makes his tally of 43 goals in 55 appearances all the more impressive. One area which I feel Hereford do need to improve is in adding goals to their midfield. – with Texeira and D’Ath more so on the more defensive side – and so having proven that he is certainly capable of scoring from deep, Kyle Belmonte would be perfect for what Hereford are looking for.

Belmonte is at his best when operating in behind the striker, with the license to get on the ball in pockets of space between the opposition midfield and defence, get on the turn and make clever runs from deep late into the box to get on the end of chances. He has quick feet, is intricate and can play in tight spaces, and is technically competent. This would be a step up for him, but I think that he has shown he has more than enough ability and I’d like to see him given the chance of National League North football.

Dontai Gabidon (FC United of Manchester)

Another player on this selection that I think Hereford should look at signing in the summer is FC United of Manchester’s Dontai Gabidon. Formerly on the books of Altrincham, Gabidon is naturally a wide player that plays off the left flank and the youngster is an exciting prospect who’d be a wise investment for Paul Caddis as a long-term project.

Gabidon is just 23 years of age, and he made a total of 33 games in the 2023-24 campaign with a combined 9 goals to his name. FC United of Manchester boss Neil Reynolds has a good track record for developing young players and there have been many that have come through under him, and Gabidon appears to be the latest that is flourishing in the first-team at Broadhurst Park. While he is still very much near the start of his footballing career, there has been enough body of work at the level to suggest that he has talent and I’d like to see him make the step up into the sixth tier.

The wide player is someone who will always be of interest to higher level teams, given that he is a good size, quick and powerful. He is a strong athlete, has the raw tools that you look for in an attacker that is able to handle the physicality of a higher division, and with a little bit of coaching and refinement to get the best out of his skillsets, he can be a real handful for The Bulls.

Terrell Pennant (Coalville Town)

The final player on this list that I think Hereford should make the move for during the summer is Coalville Town wide player Terrell Pennant. By way of the demise of Coalville Town, there have been a number of key players that have since gone on and signed for new clubs at a higher level, and Pennant is one of those that I think is more than capable – and deserving – of similarly stepping up. As such, I feel that he would be a useful option for The Bulls to consider.

Pennant is a player that has impressed at a lower level for Coalville Town, and he has been subject of a lot of interest during the summer so far as to a potential move into the National League North. One thing that I think Hereford are missing is that power and pace in the wide areas and the athleticism to get at teams with energy and dynamism, and a player of Pennant’s profile would fit the bill. He has lightning quick pace, is powerful, can drive with the ball from deep and has the ball-carrying qualities and unpredictability to make Hereford’s attack diverse in its composition.

The youngster is one that is highly-rated having formerly been on the books of Leicester City, and provides Paul Caddis with a versatile attacking option. He can play on either flank and can also be used through the middle where he can make moves in behind with his physical competencies, and gives them something they are missing; namely, the ability to go the other way and make movements behind the opposition. A hugely talented player, and one that I think would thrive under the management of Paul Caddis.