Experienced stopper Adam Smith, who made several high profile mistakes towards the end of last season, is the only goalkeeper contracted to Pools following the departures of Joel Dixon and Josh Mazfari. Picture by Frank Reid.Experienced stopper Adam Smith, who made several high profile mistakes towards the end of last season, is the only goalkeeper contracted to Pools following the departures of Joel Dixon and Josh Mazfari. Picture by Frank Reid.
Experienced stopper Adam Smith, who made several high profile mistakes towards the end of last season, is the only goalkeeper contracted to Pools following the departures of Joel Dixon and Josh Mazfari. Picture by Frank Reid.
One-time Hartlepool United transfer target Zan-Luk Leban is set to be available on a free this summer following his release from Premier League side Everton.
The Slovenian under-21 international goalkeeper was heavily linked with a move to Pools last summer, only for then-manager Darren Sarll to sign experienced stopper Adam Smith and Leicester loanee Brad Young instead.
Pools are once again on the hunt for a new goalkeeper this summer after both Joel Dixon, who started the first six games of last season before suffering a serious injury, and Josh Mazfari, who penned a permanent deal with Redcar Athletic after impressing on loan last term, left the Prestige Group Stadium. Young, who signed his first professional contract at Pools in 2019 and made 10 appearances after returning on loan last season, is also available on a free after leaving the Foxes in May. Smith, who was both the club's first choice in-between the sticks as well as the goalkeeping coach for large parts of the 2024/25 season, signed a new contract in January but struggled towards the end of the campaign and Pools are expected to try and recruit a new number one this season.
Having been born in Slovenia, Leban moved to Poland when he was six and caught the eye of a whole host of top level clubs including the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United, Tottenham, Leicester and Liverpool; when he was 15, he had a trial at Barcelona and came close to signing for the Catalan giants.
Although he never made a senior appearance for Everton, the 22-year-old impressed while coming through the ranks at Finch Farm and drew high praise following a remarkable performance in a narrow 1-0 win over Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup in 2021; the Slovenian press even hailed him as the next Jan Oblak. Such was his impressive form that he was called up to the Everton senior squad by then-manager Carlo Ancelotti in 2021.
Leban enjoyed a strong loan spell at National League North side Farsley Celtic in the 2023/24 campaign, featuring 41 times. In the same season, he captained Slovenia's under-21 side for the first time in a 1-1 draw against Turkey in November 2023.
Yet despite his impressive pedigree, the young goalkeeper is one of a number of players set to leave Everton, who are preparing to move into their new Hill Dickinson stadium ahead of the new campaign, this summer. Senior professionals Abdoulaye Doucoure, Ashley Young, Joao Virginia, Asmir Begovic, Mason Holgate and Neal Maupay are all on the hunt for a new club along with several youth team prospects, including the likes of Leban, Owen Barker and Jack Butler.
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