'Strong, quick, a bit raw' - Matthew Bates gives the lowdown on Pools new boy Marcus Dinanga

And boss Matthew Bates admits he is delighted to finally get the deal for the "strong, quick" forward over the line.

"He came to our attention when we were looking at the stats of strikers from the league below," Bates told the club website.

"He did really well at Telford in what was a struggling side, with all respect to them, so we watched plenty of footage of him and liked the look of that and also spoke to several managers who came up against him last season who all gave positive reports.

"It was one of the first phone calls we made earlier in the summer to see if we could get him here and I have to say that Burton have been very professional in keeping us updated along the way.

"I think there were a few other clubs in for him but because we did things right they were keen for him to come here.

"He’s strong, quick and a bit raw given he’s only 21 but he does the basics really well and I can see him being a big asset for us this season."

The youngster joins having not made a first-team appearance for Burton, although he has been loaned out with view to getting gametime under his belt and heading back to the Pirelli Stadium senior team ready.

Dinanga has previously spent time at Matlock Town and AFC Telford on loan.

Last season he scored 25 goals in the National League North for Telford.

The Dinanga deal adds yet more firepower to Pools' ranks, with competition for places in the forward areas high.

Niko Muir, Jake Cassidy and Luke James can all play a central role, and all are understood to still be part of Bates' plans.