The 36 year-old will be looking to displace Kevin Pilkington from his place in goal and take up the gloves for the opening games of the new campaign, providing he can get through pre-season unscathed this time. Hoult joined the Magpies on loan from Stoke City towards the end of the 07/08 season, and helped guide the club to survival with a string of assured displays between the sticks, but after joining permanently he was ravaged by injury during his first full year at the club, prompting rumours he may never play again, but they look to be false as Hoult is stepping up his fitness bid.
The former West Brom, Nottingham Forest and Stoke City 'keeper told the club's official site:-
"I missed the previous pre-season at Stoke because I cracked my ribs and the pre-season just gone I suffered the stress fracture in my ankle," he said.
"Even though I was working hard in the gym all the time and doing all my rehab work, but I didn't feel that match-fit because of the pre-season I missed.
"I wasn't comfortable with myself if I'm being honest now and I didn't keep as many clean sheets as I would have liked."
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