A centre-half at youth team level, Darren Craddock was converted to a right-back during Neale Cooper`s time at the club. Right back had been a problem position with injury and homesickness keeping Micky Barron and Jack Ross out of the side and Craddock proved himself a capable understudy whenever called upon during that season and the following one. But as Pools struggled in 2005/06 Craddock had still not managed to establish himself in the first team and, when relegation was confirmed at the end of the season, Craddock found himself on the list of players released by the club.