2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Darlington

Player Decisions

Retain

Aidan Rutledge, Will Hatfield, Tom Platt, Ben Hedley, Scott Barrow, Toby Lees, Ellis Stanton, Tom Allan, Tye Barton, Will Maddison, Alfie Myers-Smith, Liam Mason

Release

Elliot Forbes, Kallum Griffiths

Loan End

Rory Watson, Max Howells, Jonah Lowes, Paddy McLaughlin, Will McGowan, Tom Tweedy

Loan Out

Will Maddison

Lose / Sell

Jack Maskell, Cedric Main

Sign

Dylan Stephenson, Max Kilsby, Max Howells, Mark Beck, Paddy McLaughlin, Bobby Jones,

Retained Squad

New Signings

Niall Canavan (Barrow – free)

Darlington will be looking to add a centre-back to their ranks before the start of the 2026-27 campaign. Ideally, I think that Watson will be looking for an experienced defender and someone that is capable of marshalling that backline. One player that may well be of interest to them having been let go on a free transfer by relegated League Two outfit Barrow is Irishman Niall Canavan. 

If Darlington were signing him purely based on his form in the last 12-18 months, I think that they’d look elsewhere as he has struggled for The Bluebirds in League Two. However, I think that Steve Watson would appreciate the value – as poor as Canavan may have been for The Bluebirds – that a signing of this ilk could do. He is 35 years of age, and amassed just over 450 appearances in the Football League. He has been captain of Barrow and won two promotions in his career, and so in terms of ‘tried and tested’ then Darlington would be getting a player that is definitely a good fit. 

As a profile, Canavan is a no-nonsense centre-back. I think that he represents a good stylistic fit for playing in a Steve Watson given there is little in the way of responsibility for ball progression in playing out. Watson favours strong box defenders that are aggressive in their defending, uncompromising and robust in use of their physical attributes, Canavan is an imposing figure standing at 6ft 4in, and while he perhaps isn’t as polished with the ball at his feet he is the type of player that reads the game well and would provide benefit in terms of his organisation of the backline. 

If I was in Niall Canavan, I would be looking at the next move being a ‘take two steps back to take three forward’ type of arrangement whereby he perhaps has to drop down a level in which to find regular football. The last 12-18 months with Barrow have been underwhelming to say the least for the 35-year-old, and so he needs to find an opportunity that will allow him to get a high volume of minutes and just concentrate on his football. Dropping into the National League North and being part of a Darlington side that got on the edge of the play-offs last season may well represent a good project for Canavan at this stage of his career to re-light that spark and get him back playing again. 

As much as Canavan has forged out a career in the Football League, I think that he will perhaps appreciate that at the age of 35-years-old he may be well-advised to drop down a level, against what is deemed a slower and lesser quality of attacking player and grasp the opportunity to still play. Personally, I feel that coming in as one of the ‘marquee signings’ with the reputation and experience to his name and the challenge of being a leader within this group to help them scale the heights of a top seven push may be the motivation that he needs. If the money is right, I feel that it would be a good addition.

Jonathan Gjoshe (Scunthorpe United – free)

One area in which Darlington will be looking to strengthen this summer is at right-back. They’ve currently got Ben Hendley to pick from in that part of the pitch, yet I think Watson will be looking to add a younger and more athletic full-back to complement what they’ve already got. One option that has perhaps gone under the radar given that he has had time out of the game over the course of the last year, yet does come off the back of a season with Scunthorpe United in the level above is 25-year-old Jonathan Gjoshe. 

The Quakers operate largely with a wing-back system, and so I think that they are ideally looking for a full-back that has got the engine and athleticism to get up in support of the play and that can handle the ‘up-and-down’ nature of the position. While he isn’t the most physically imposing, I feel that Gjoshe represents a nice profile for that wing-back role on the right-hand side. He is an energetic customer, with a good work-rate, suitably technical and composed with the ball at his feet and is an attacking player that looks to progress the ball from deep. He’s got a lovely ability to wriggle his way out of congested areas, and that short, sharp burst to get away from his man. 

One of the other benefits of signing Gjoshe is the fact that he offers the versatility of playing on either side, and so he offers The Quakers value. He is predominantly a right-back, albeit has been used on the left. I personally think that he has got such energy against the ball and athleticism that he could play as a winger if required. I like his temperament for a defender, and the fact that he is particularly diligent in his positioning and use of the ball under pressure. He’s not the biggest, but what he perhaps lacks aerially he makes up for with his speed to get back in recovery. 

The thing that I particularly like about Gjoshe as an option for Darlington is his attitude and the fact that he will work hard for the opportunity to play football. He got a break in signing for Scunthorpe United off the back of a good spell lower in the pyramid with Corinithian Casuals, and he never really got given a fair crack of the whip by Andy Butler in terms of playing minutes by way of The Iron’s success in the league. One thing that I think can be hugely advantageous when it comes to a new signing is them having that purpose to do well, work hard and give their all. From that point of view, if I were in Steve Watson’s shoes then I would be giving him an opportunity to get his career back on the straight and narrow. 

Having been let go by Scunthorpe United, I think that the likelihood is that he will drop down a level for his next move and so I feel that Darlington represents a good sounding ground for the defender regarding a potential suitor. After his spell with Scunthorpe United was impacted by events away from the pitch, I feel that Gjoshe will have that hunger to grasp the opportunity to just go and play football and so that may well benefit The Quakers in getting a good player at their level for a reasonable outlay.

Jayden Carbon (Middlesbrough – loan)

The final player that I would look at signing during the summer if I were in Darlington’s position is forward Jayden Carbon. The youngster is currently on the books of Championship outfit Middlesbrough, and I think that it is more than likely that he will be let out on loan going into the 2026-27 campaign. If Carbon is available, I feel that the youngster would represent a clever foray into the loan market for The Quakers. 

In the last 12-18 months, Darlington have been able to maintain particularly productive links with Middlesbrough in signing young players on loan. There is the obvious advantage given the geography of the two clubs, and the fact that The Quakers represent a fairly good landing ground for young players to go out and get the opportunity to play first-team football in the North East. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Carbon end up playing for Darlington next season, or at the very least that Middlesbrough approach The Quakers with the prospect of him signing for Steve Watson’s side. 

Carbon is a player that I first saw when he was playing at Oxford City, before he got his big move North of the border with Ross County. As a profile, I think that Carbon provides The Quakers with something that they don’t really have in their side. I feel that he plays his best stuff off the left-hand side as a winger or a #10, and is someone that wants to carry the ball. The Quakers operated largely with a wing-backs system last term, and I think he would relish playing in that system as a #10. This would get him into more central areas whereby he can attack space, pick up clever pockets between the lines and create separation with his speed in transition. 

In terms of his attributes, Carbon is a tricky and direct wide player that has quick feet, looks to commit players, and makes clever runs beyond the play to stretch teams with his pace. With The Quakers having Aidan Rutledge and Mark Beck on their books, I feel that having a player of Carbon’s profile that can run beyond and try to get past people would be incredibly useful to have in the attacking arsenal. 

One of the advantages that Darlington have with signing a player like Jayden Carbon is the fact that he can play in a number of different roles, and so is a composite forward. The Quakers traditionally have one of the smaller squads in the National League North and so the signings that Steve Watson makes have to be – by design – be versatile. Carbon plays the majority of his minutes as a winger, but he can play through the middle as a forward. Therefore, he provides value for money to The Quakers in that he can play in different systems and gives Watson the options to adapt how they set-up. 

Carbon is not going to be part of Middlesbrough’s plans, and so I think that he would be available to go out on loan in 2026-27. Darlington are missing a player of his profile in their squad, have proven to be a good environment for affording chances to young players, and at a level in which I feel he would represent a bit of a coup given he’s played higher. If The Quakers can work a deal for the youngster on loan, I feel that it could well be the missing piece of their attacking jigsaw.