Hartlepool United manager Darren Sarll remains tight-lipped amid rumours linking Pools with experienced striker Gary Madine

The towering 33-year-old has been linked with a move to Pools, who are on the lookout for a new frontman, over the last week.

Sarll has previously professed his desire to bolster his forward line, with cover and competition for Mani Dieseruvwe among his top priorities.

Madine certainly seems to tick a lot of boxes; born in Gateshead, he would be another local addition, at six foot three he shares Dieseruvwe's impressive physical profile and he boasts a wealth of experience.

After spending time in Middlesbrough's academy, he signed terms with Carlisle and went on to score 22 goals in 85 games.

He has scored goals at the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton although endured a more barren spell at Cardiff, where he failed to find the net in 28 matches.

However, Madine has spent more than 12 months without a club following his departure from Blackpool, where he scored 23 goals in 101 games.

Fleetwood and National League rivals York are also rumoured to be interested in securing the services of the frontman, although Sarll refused to get into specifics when questioned about a potential deal for the veteran.

"I can talk about good players, I'd like more of them," he told BBC Radio Tees Sport.

"Gary Madine is a very, very good player, there's absolutely no doubt about that.

"We want good players. I have starved our supporters, no one else at the football club has starved our supporters more than Darren Sarll.

"I am very, very particular with what I think I want and I am very, very particular with what I think I need.

"I'm learning all the time where the gaps are. I don't want to make - and I've done this before - early decisions that really, really disrupt our future.

"We're learning all the time what we need. We definitely need another centre-forward.

"Mani Dieseruvwe is in the shape of his life, I think he looks like a completely different beast. That is credit to his professionalism and his character.

"He'll need some support at some time. We're about to go Wealdstone-Woking, we're about to go Southend-Tamworth.

"We're very, very lucky that in the squad, (Joe) Grey and (Luke) Charman can both play in that central position.

"Do we want more good players? Absolutely.

"What we don't want to do is make decisions that are going to dilute what we're trying to do."