CALLUM Cooke is the latest former City player to be released by his club.

The midfielder is among nine players leaving National League side Hartlepool following the appointment of new boss Darren Sarll.

Cooke made 76 appearances in two years with Pools and scored 11 goals.

He had previously played 112 times for the Bantams with six goals after Gary Bowyer signed him, initially on loan, in the summer of 2019 following relegation to League Two.

Cooke scored the first goal of Mark Hughes' reign as City boss in a 2-0 win at Forest Green in March 2022.

He then netted at Valley Parade against Hughes' side for Hartlepool in a 2-2 draw a year later.

Former Stevenage boss Sarll was only named Hartlepool manager five days ago as the replacement for January appointment Kevin Phillips, who had steered them to a mid-table finish but could not agree a new contract.

Sarll, who has led Yeovil and Woking to the National League play-offs, confirmed that he did have a say in the club’s retained list.

The departure of Cooke and midfield partner Tom Crawford came as the biggest shock after both had played regularly during the season. Cooke had featured in 35 league games.

Two more ex-Bantams, Abo Eisa and Jordan Gibson, are also among the players now looking for new clubs after leaving Grimsby and Carlisle respectively.