Torquay United can confirm that defender Sam Dreyer has joined Harrogate Town for an undisclosed fee.
The 22-year-old centre-back moves to the Yorkshire club after an agreement was reached between the two clubs.
Harrogate returned to the National League this summer following six consecutive seasons in League Two, having been relegated by just a single point at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Dreyer joined the Gulls ahead of the 2025/26 season and quickly established himself as an important member of the first-team squad, earning the respect of United supporters during his time at Plainmoor.
His performances also attracted significant interest from clubs higher up the football pyramid, including the EFL, before Harrogate moved decisively to secure his services.
Following their approach, Sam made clear his desire to pursue the opportunity and, after negotiations between the two clubs, an agreement was reached for an undisclosed fee. The deal includes a number of other elements which give Torquay United the opportunity to benefit significantly from Sam’s future progress.
United manager Jimmy Ball said:
“Sam is a very good young player and naturally we would have been very happy for him to remain a Torquay United player.
“There has been a lot of interest in Sam, including from EFL clubs, which is testament to the progress he has made and the level of his performances.
“Harrogate have spent the last six seasons in League Two and made it very clear how much they wanted Sam. Sam also made clear that this was an opportunity he wanted to pursue.
“Our responsibility was therefore to make sure that any agreement properly reflected Sam’s value to Torquay United, both now and potentially in the future, and we believe we have done that.
“I know supporters will be disappointed to see Sam go and I completely understand that. He has been an important player for us and good players are difficult to replace.
“But our job is to make sure the squad remains strong. We have already been working on bringing another centre-back into the building and I am hopeful we can conclude that very rapidly.
“Our ambitions for this season haven’t changed. Whenever a good player leaves, the important thing is how you respond, and we intend to respond positively.”
Everyone at Torquay United would like to thank Sam for his contribution during his time at Plainmoor and wish him every success for the future.
