Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett has wasted little time in bolstering the ranks at Victoria Park, with six new additions since the end of last season as he looks to build on an encouraging start to his managerial career since replacing Ronnie Moore in February.
Hignett, who is in his third stint at The Vic after having played a couple of games at the end of his career in 2007 and then being appointed as assistant manager to Colin Cooper in 2013, took over with the club uncomfortably close to the drop-zone. Hignett oversaw eight victories to steer Hartlepool to safety, although his impressive start was somewhat tarnished by four straight defeats to end the campaign.
Aristote ‘Toto” Nsiala is the latest new recruit, with the 24-year-old DR Congo international arriving from League Two new boys Grimsby Town. The former Everton trainee became Hignett’s sixth summer signing, joining goalkeeper Ben Dudzinski; centre-back Ben Pollock; full-back James Martin; midfielder Nicky Deverdics and striker Jake Orrell.
Speaking to the official Hartlepool club site, Nsiala explained his decision to leave Blundell Park to join Pools by saying, “I’m just pleased to be working with Craig Hignett, I have heard a lot about him and I have met him myself as well and I got a good impression.
“I liked what he told me about the club and what his aims were as they match my own. His ambitions and the plans he has were what got me to come to the club.
“A lot of players that I spoke to, like Carl Magnay and others, spoke very highly of him. It wasn’t the size of the club or how big they were, once I saw the Manager’s ambition and his plans, not just for the club but for himself as well, that drew me to the club.
“There was a handful of clubs but I just felt after I had spoken to the Manager, he told me what he wants to do things the right way.”
The pick of Pools’ signings to date could be 28-year-old Nicky Deverdics. The Newcastle-born midfielder has joined on a free transfer after turning down a new deal with National League Dover Athletic. He contributed 16 goals and 18 assists in captaining the Kent club to the play-off semi-finals last term and was, according to Hignett, “The best player in the National League in a lot of people’s eyes”.
Hignett will be counting on Deverdics replicating that form at a higher level as, aside from Billy Paynter’s 14 goals, no other Hartlepool player found the back of the net more than five times last season.
With the likes of Trevor Carson; Nicky Featherstone; Matthew Bates; Nathan Thomas and Lewis Hawkins all penning new deals at Victoria Park, there is an air of positivity around the club at present and early season ticket sales have easily exceeded those at the same stage last year.
Check out Bet365 mobile for all the latest odds on Hartlepool ahead of Hignett’s first full season in charge.
