'Delighted' Hartlepool United defender Myles Anderson calls for more consistency after signing new deal

The 29-year-old, who joined Pools from Chester a year ago, has signed a new one-year contract at the Super 6 Stadium ahead of the 2019/20 season, making him the third Hartlepool player to pen a new deal this summer,

Anderson became a regular in Pools' backline after joining the club 12 months ago, and while the centre-back admits he has his own personal targets, he's also determined to build on last season's points total.

“I am delighted to be back and to get it all sorted now. It can be an uncertain time for a footballer so I am happy to get it all finalised, " Anderson told the club's website after signing a new deal.

"I know the plan for pre-season so I will switch off now fully for a couple of weeks before I start the work to prepare to return to training.

“I would say from a personal point of view, I am just looking to kick on from last season, just to continue to try and get better and try to play as many games as possible to help the team achieve as high a position in the league as possible.

“I started 33 out of the 46 league games which is good, but I would like to improve on that next season.

“All of the boys are looking forward to getting better, working really hard in pre-season and starting the season off strongly then looking to maintain that form over the 46 games."

Pools were regularly playing catch up in the National League in 2019, especially after a dismal seven-game losing run at the end of the previous year.

However, the club did show they can mix it with the best in the fifth tier, following some impressive results towards the end of the campaign.

Anderson has, therefore, called on his team-mates to maintain those standards, to give themselves a chance of fighting for promotion.

“Last season we showed glimpses that we are able to compete with the bigger sides in the league," he added. "Beating the likes of Salford City who got promoted in the end and we drew both games with Leyton Orient who won the league so we have shown that we have got enough to be up there, it is just about finding that consistency over the ten months.

“It is a long season and the teams that are able to maintain their levels for the duration of the season ultimately will be the team that end up having the most success.”

After an ultimately frustrating campaign, Anderson also believes there was a re-connection between the players and Hartlepool fans in the closing stages of the season.

The defender also thinks the Pools faithful can play a key part when the season kicks off in August, especially on home turf.

“Last season was an interesting one, I think the connection between the players and the supporters at the end of the season was how it needs to be," said Anderson.

“We started to get it right at the end of the season and me personally, I am looking to build on that this season.

“We have a really good group of playing staff, a really good group of coaching staff and a really good fanbase and when we get that connection right between the players on the pitch and the fans, it makes a massive difference.

“Some of the games towards the end of the season and I think Wrexham at home was the start of it, it was incredible and it really gave us players a massive lift.

“It gave us a taste of what it could be like with the atmosphere and that kind of environment, this should be a fortress."