Round-up: Huddersfield Town land another third-tier promotion winner - one in, one out at York City
HUDDERSFIELD Town have completed the signing of former Sunderland favourite and Stoke City utility man Lynden Gooch.
The 29-year-old, capped four times by the USA earlier in his career, has penned a three-year deal with the League One outfit after arriving on a free transfer. He becomes the club’s ninth addition of a busy summer window.
The California-born player left Stoke at the end of last term.
Gooch spent two seasons in the Potteries after being signed by former Sunderland boss Alex Neil late in the 2023 summer window.
The versatile star made 31 starts under four different managers in Staffordshire, playing at right-back, left-back, right wing, left wing and once as a No 10. In total, he made 53 appearances for Stoke.
Gooch made his name on Wearside, where he rose through the youth system and went on to make 246 senior appearances for the Black Cats between 2015 and 2023.
It incorporated spells in the Premier League, Championship and League One, with the Santa-Cruz born utility man, pictured, becoming a dependable figure under a string of managers.
Town chief Lee Grant said: “Lynden is another important addition to the squad, bringing us quality and strong competition at right-back.
“Despite offers to stay in the Championship, he has bought in to our vision and ambition, and I’m looking forward to seeing him contribute to our collective goals.
“His experience will be invaluable both on and off the pitch for the group, and he’s another player who knows how it feels to not only be promoted from this league, but the hard work and dedication it requires to get there.”
Gooch, who spent a loan spell in Yorkshire earlier in his career at Doncaster Rovers and has linked up with Town at their training camp in Austria, added: “I had time to assess my options this summer and really think about where I wanted the next step of my career to be, and after speaking to Lee Grant, I had no doubt that Huddersfield Town was the right club to join.
“I’ve been promoted from this league before and want to have that feeling again, and I know that’s what everyone at the club is going to be fighting for.”
Former Doncaster Rovers left-back Cameron John has left York City on a season-long loan to allow a winger to move permanently in the opposite direction.
John, who started his career at Wolves, has joined Conference rivals Hartlepool United for 2025-26, with forward Joe Grey joining the Minstermen on a permanent basis.
Despite being just 22, Grey has already made 155 league appearances for the Teesside club.
After coming through their youth system, Grey also made 45 Football League appearances for Pools, who were most recently in League Two from 2021 to 2023.
John, 25, was a regular in his maiden season at the Community Stadium last term, making 33 league appearances as the Minstermen finished second in the table, and scoring in the final two games of the campaign.