Louie Barry in: The ideal Stockport County starting XI v Cambridge United on August 10th | OneFootball

Hatters manager Dave Challinor has a lot of tough choices to make when selecting his first XI of the new season

Stockport County welcome Cambridge United to Edgeley Park on the opening day of the new campaign to kick off their return to League One after winning promotion, and the league title, last time out.

The end of the season brought around some headline departures, most notably former captain Paddy Madden, who was joined at the exit door by Ryan Croasdale, Antoni Sarcevic, Myles Hippolyte and Connor Lemonheigh Evans.

It was painful for County fans to begin with, but it also signalled the start of the next phase of the club's seven-year plan to return to the Championship and, with that in mind, the new faces started rolling in fairly quickly.

Here, Football League World looks at how those fresh arrivals could mix in with some of the old guard to create the Hatters' ideal XI come the start of the campaign.

The opening day will be the first time - but certainly not the last - that the Ben Hinchliffe/Corey Addai debate comes to life, but the veteran shot-stopper gets the nod in this XI.

There are obviously sentimental reasons for wanting Hinchliffe back between the sticks for the beginning of the third-tier campaign, not least the fact that he is a key reason the club are where they are. However, it's also important to remember that this is last season's League Two Golden Glove winner we're talking about.

With every step up the Hatters have taken since the now-distant days of the National League North, debate has raged over whether the veteran gloveman can make the jump. Every time he has passed the test. What evidence do we have to suggest this time won't be the same?

It is clear, as a 26-year-old League Two play-off winner, that Addai has not just come to play second fiddle. All parties will be well aware of this, but it feels just that the onus is on the new man to unseat Hinchliffe, rather than the other way round.

RB: Kyle Knoyle

The signing of traditional wingers this summer suggests that manager Dave Challinor is eyeing up a new structure that would likely mean a back four.

Having played consistently at both right wing-back and on the right of a back three throughout his County career, Kyle Knoyle has displayed that he is just as comfortable with the defensive side of the game as he is with the attacking.

That makes him an ideal shout to play in a more traditional full-back role; a solid member of a back four when a more rigid structure is required, but can easily be brought into the attack with overlaps to create overloads down the right side when required.

CB: Fraser Horsfall

In a season ravaged by injury in 2023/24, the one almost constant presence in the back line was Fraser Horsfall.

A defensive rock, assured with the ball at his feet and a strong leader, the 27-year-old will be key in bridging the gap between League Two and League One for the Hatters and could be a crucial influence over this season's much younger squad.

With the departure of Madden, he'd also be a good bet for the side's new captain.

Ethan Pye

Ethan Pye had an incredible break-out season last term, going from a relatively unknown quantity to a first-team mainstay in just a couple of months and making 35 league appearances by the time the final whistle was blown on the campaign.

He was duly awarded a new three-year deal, representing both his progression last season and the protection of his future value in the transfer market as a young, left-sided defender who is comfortable in possession.

Competition for starting places will be much tougher than he faced last season with the signings of Sam Hughes from Burton Albion and Jay Mingi from Colchester United, but the partnership Horsfall and Pye struck up in 2023/24 will be difficult to ignore.

Pye also popped up at left-back relatively frequently last term, so it wouldn't be a shock to see him reutilised for this role in games where a firmer defence is required.

LB: Ryan Rydel

A rotten stroke of luck saw Ryan Rydel suffer a season-ending injury near the beginning of a campaign that looked to be an important one for his development.

Undeterred by that, it looks as if the 23-year-old is ready to pick up where he left off as the new season rolls around, with a new three-year contract in his back pocket as a show of faith from the decision-makers at Edgeley Park.

His best strengths so far have been going forward, which could be vital for the front-footed approach that Challinor wants to approach this season with.

CM: Will Collar

County already had incredibly strong competition in midfield last season, but the signing of Lewis Bate, Lewis Fiorini, Callum Connolly and Mingi makes the battle even tougher this time around.

Having said that, some level of continuity may be required to knit the new-look side together and it feels like Will Collar is ideally positioned to provide that.

Talk of him making the move to the upper echelons of the Football League has been common since the Hatters were in the National League, but he's now approaching that level without ever having needed a transfer.

Even with injury limiting him to 20 League Two appearances last season, he still managed to provide four goals and six assists and has been one of County's main goal threats from the middle of the park in recent memory. Despite a stop-start season in the fourth tier last time out, he will undoubtedly be trusted to make the step up this term.

CM: Lewis Bate

Challinor is blessed that there is scarcely a bad option when it comes to selecting who to partner Collar in the engine room, but Bate looks ideally placed for the gig.

Having played as a holding midfielder for much of his young career and having experience, albeit limited, stretching all the way to the Premier League, he would be a good partner to allow Collar to be the powerful creative force that he can be.

Bate isn't the only member of the squad that can carry out this role, with Mingi and Fiorini also having some experience deeper in midfield and the 26-year-old Connolly having a wealth of Championship and League One experience in the role.

However, for owner Mark Stott's strategy of becoming sustainable through selling top young talent to work, they will need sufficient time in the shop window. Bate is a strong candidate to make an impact now but also begin building his value for the longer term straight from the off.

CAM: Nick Powell

A player with the quality that Nick Powell possesses should have been far beyond the reach of County in League Two and will still likely be head and shoulders above much of the opposition when it comes to technical ability in the third tier.

He can instinctively play any type of pass, many of which other players may never have seen with all the time in the world.

His headline stats last season - three goals and one assist in the league - may lead some to underrate his influence on the side, but so often he will feature prominently further back in attacking moves, laying the foundations of goalscoring opportunities that may never have been found without him.

Along with that, he also brings extensive Championship-level experience, meaning he should be comfortable in the third tier and also knows what it takes to get where County want to go.

Keeping him fit will be the toughest task, but Challinor managed that side well last season and, on paper, has greater midfield resources to enable him to do the same this term.

RW: Jayden Fevrier

The addition of wingers by County this summer is a clear nod to the fact that Challinor wants the option of a slightly different attacking threat this season and Jayden Fevrier looks set to be a key component of that.

Fevrier was often utilised as a right wing-back for his former club Colchester, but Challinor made clear in the announcement on County's website that he sees the 21-year-old best used as an attacking outlet.

He completed more dribbles last season than any other player in both League One and League Two, and it is that take-on ability that was sometimes lacking in County's play last term.

His left-footedness in this role would mean he's able to cut in and become a goal threat on his own or provide through balls for our next player to run onto...

ST: Tanto Olaofe

Tanto Olaofe went from exciting prospect to talisman last season, notching a career-best 20 league goals and providing a further two assists.

Overall improvements in his technique, both on the ball and in front of goal, were evidently developing throughout the season. It still feels like there is more to come from the 24-year-old.

He will have competition from Kyle Wootton and Jack Stretton to lead the line, plus any further signings made, but his season last term will make it difficult to choose anyone else.

Olaofe is also no stranger to stints on the wing, meaning the opportunity for interplay and rotations between him and the two wingers either side of him could cause chaos for opposition defences.

LW: Louie Barry

Since Stott's confirmation that the club are pursuing a permanent deal for Louie Barry, the saga around the 21-year-old former Barcelona youth prospect returning to Edgeley Park has rumbled on.

With his parent club, Aston Villa, set to go on a pre-season tour, it would be no shock to see it rumble on further until that has concluded, and the Villans have had one, potentially final, look at him.

Barry struck up a fearsome partnership with Olaofe in the front line before his long-term injury in the first half of last season and a similar combination would be on offer with this new structure. A Fevrier-Oloafe-Barry attacking unit would provide plenty of opportunity for rotations and could feasibly leave League One defences startled.

The signing of Jack Diamond as a free agent, who was last with Sunderland, means that there is less pressure to sign Barry. Diamond will be more than capable of filling the role, but Barry just pips him on account of his familiarity with the side and with Oloafe in particular.