'Maybe it wasn't the right time' - Departed frontman Marcus Dinanga discusses his failed loan spell at Hartlepool United

Marcus Dinanga believes his time at Hartlepool United was a case of right club, wrong time.
Marcus Dinanga playing against Leyton Orient for Hartlepool United earlier this season.Marcus Dinanga playing against Leyton Orient for Hartlepool United earlier this season.
Marcus Dinanga playing against Leyton Orient for Hartlepool United earlier this season.

The striker spent the first half of this season on loan at Pools from Burton Albion, but failed to score in 18 National League, FA Trophy and FA Cup appearances.

Dinanga's loan deal at Pools was ended in January. He was then sold by Nigel Clough, returning to AFC Telford in the National League North, where he spent a goal-laden season in 2017/18.

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Joining "big club" Pools is not a move Dinanga regrets, but he does wonder whether the timing was not quite right.

"I don’t know what happened, maybe it just wasn’t the right time. I believe that things tend to happen for a reason, and I don’t know, it just didn’t work," he said.

"That’s just football, really – sometimes you just go somewhere and think it’s going to go well, and it didn’t.

"I learnt a lot of things from the managers and the players that were there with me, and I hope I can bring that forward to Telford.

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"The opportunity to go to Hartlepool, who are a big club, was one I couldn’t turn down at the time, but yeah, that’s it, really."

Reflecting back on his departure, having fallen way down the pecking order under then boss Richard Money, Dinanga admits it was a no brainer to walk away from the Super 6 Stadium.

"I got a phone call from my agent when I was at Hartlepool. Obviously I wasn’t playing much and I got a call asking what I wanted to do in January, because Telford wanted me back, either before or in January," he said.

"I couldn’t get out of Hartlepool before January, and I thought that (to come back) was the best option really, because I needed goals, and Telford would give me that, so I thought “why not?”