"We're all looking forward to starting on Monday" - Town boss McGrath on Jay Turner-Cooke, his squad and new signings
Town boss John McGrath says he is looking forward to working with all his players when pre-season starts on Monday – including Will Harris and Jay Turner-Cooke.
Speculation has swirled around the duo in recent weeks, with Harris linked to a move to Hartlepool United.
Rumours have focused on the contract situations of both players, who both signed one-year deals with an option at Town last summer.
Reports have suggested that Halifax may not have triggered the option on their contracts in time, but the Courier understands that the club has operated within the rules of the FA at all times and has acted entirely appropriately over the contract situations of both players, who are are officially signed to Town for the forthcoming season.
On the talk surrounding Turner-Cooke, McGrath told the Courier: "It's the same as the Will Harris situation, where people put things out about our players.
"All I can say is I'm looking forward to starting pre-season with all my current contracted players and Jay Turner-Cooke is one of those.
"I was a left-footed central midfielder and I'm looking forward to working with Jay and watching him help Halifax Town have another good season."
McGrath says he's not been told that Turner-Cooke wants to leave the club.
"It's the same scenario around the contract situation (as Harris) but my chairman has assured me that everything is done in accordance with the FA rules and I just think it's a lot of paper talk,” he said.
"It might be an agent trying to manouvre a move away, but I'm not one to be manouvered, I'm not one to be bullied.
"Jay Turner-Cooke is a Halifax Town player, so is Will Harris, so is Mackenzie Maltby, so is David Kawa, all the boys I met yesterday, Cody Johnson, Josh Hmami.
"We're all in it together and we're all looking forward to starting on Monday."
McGrath says the club has had “a couple of interesting enquiries and phone calls" regarding their current players, but is focused on the start of pre-season training on Monday.
On whether any further new signings were close, McGrath said: "We've got two more over the line, they will be announced but the paperwork's just getting done first.
"But they'll be in Monday for the start of pre-season.
"We're 75 per cent down the line on a goalkeeper, so that'll hopefully be three in the door by Monday."
McGrath’s backroom staff is pretty much complete too.
"The physio is in place and the goalkeeping coach should be getting done this weekend."
One player who won’t be at the club this season is winger Angelo Cappello, who left Town after four years.
"I'm disappointed, I wanted him to stay and be part of the squad,” McGrath said.
"He was offered a contract and Angelo and his agent decided that his season for 2026-27 was deemed to be elsewhere."