Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll admits Greg Sloggett arrives with rave reviews from both sides of the Irish Sea

The 28-year-old became Sarll's fifth summer signing - and his third in central-midfield - as the boss bids to curate a midfield that is much more competitive and combative than it was last season.

The Irishman arrives following a frustrating spell with Cheltenham where he was reduced to just one start and one substitute appearance as the Robins were relegated to League Two.

However, Sloggett has enjoyed an excellent career across the Irish Sea, helping University College Dublin win promotion to the League of Ireland Premier Division, impressing during a spell with Derry City and racking up more than 160 appearances for Dundalk, including 16 in the Europa League.

He follows in the footsteps of fellow new faces Jack Hunter and Nathan Sheron, both of whom boast considerable National League experience and were signed to strengthen a midfield that was one of the side's most problematic areas last term.

One of the criticisms often levelled at the Pools engine room last season was that the likes of Callum Cooke, Tom Crawford and Nicky Featherstone, who has signed a player-coach deal ahead of the new campaign, was that they were all too similar.

In Sloggett, then, Sarll will be hoping he has unearthed a midfielder who can offer his side something different to Hunter and Sheron.

His broad-shoulders, running power, experience, strength and determination to prove he can make the grade in England mean Sloggett is an interesting proposition.

Gavan Holohan, who signed from Waterford and who, like Sloggett, was a virtual unknown in England, went on to score 21 goals in 106 appearances and help Pools win promotion from the National League.

The new man has made an impressive start to life in the North East and caught the eye during Saturday's thumping win over South Shields, creating two of the goals and making an impact with an excellent box-to-box performance.

And Sarll is delighted with his latest recruit, who he admits arrives with rave reviews from both sides of the Irish Sea.

"What I like about Greg, first and foremost, is that I hate regurgitating the same names in the same leagues," he told BBC Radio Tees Sport.

"When I delved into Greg's career, Joe (Monks) and I are always trying to look round the corner, look in a different direction.

"I liked it that he was relatively unknown in England, and relatively well known in Ireland.

"Players that I've worked with previously that are now playing in Ireland spoke brilliantly of him, his references were great.

"I spoke to a couple of players that I'd worked with that were at Cheltenham last year and they spoke, again, really, really well of Greg.

"Physically he's a very dynamic individual.

"What I like about all of these signings - Sheron, Sloggett, Hunter - they've all got this ambition or hunger to prove a point, and I really like that.

"I like that determination to change their lives, change their futures. Ambition, desire to win.

"Greg really fits that, like Nathan (Sheron) and Jack (Hunter).

"I don't think you can have enough of them, I really don't, especially with what we're trying to add.

"We've added very few to a lot that we let go, but I think it's key that you try and add that ambition and desire to win, especially here."