Hartlepool United manager Graeme Lee has made this claim about former Southport forward and ex-Portsmouth, Cardiff City and Doncaster Rovers striker

Carver, 28, became Lee’s first signing as Pools boss in the January window when he arrived at the Suit Direct Stadium for an undisclosed fee from National League North side Southport where he had scored 12 goals in 17 league games.

Carver has made 15 appearances since making the switch back into the Football League, having had experience with Accrington Stanley earlier in his career, but only six of those have been as a starter with the striker yet to open his account for Pools in front of goal.

Carver, who made his debut for Pools in the defeat at Bristol Rovers, featured from the off in both of Pools’ Easter defeats against Port Vale and Rochdale and gave a decent account of himself in terms of his endeavour and work ethic in defending from the front.

But with the striker having also struggled with an injury shortly after joining the club, Lee believes supporters may not see the best of him until next season after he gets a full pre-season under his belt.

“He chases balls and he makes balls effective for us and that’s why I always talk about moving the ball forward quickly,” Lee told The Mail.

“If we go forward quicker we’ve got people who are willing to chase that ball down and it brings us up the pitch.

“I’d like him to get a goal because it might then give him a bit more belief and add a bit more to his game.

“He needs a pre-season. The lad has come from non-league where he’s done fantastically well but at a level where he’s not training every day, he was just managing games really with his body and he’s come into full-time sessions.

“But there’s a few of them who need a pre-season, it’s the same with Omar really. I want a good pre-season into Omar because he hasn’t played a hell of a lot this season.

"So once we get these lads a good pre-season the fitter they are then the better they’ll be.”