Hartlepool United loan signing Macauley Southam-Hales on the big boots he has to fill following Peter Kioso's departure to Luton Town

The Fleetwood Town loanee put in a man of the match display on his Pools debut as the side beat Stockport County 2-0 at Victoria Park on Saturday.

Following the departure of Peter Kioso to Luton Town last week, Dave Challinor acted quickly in securing a replacement at right-back with Southam-Hales quickly making the journey to the north east before being thrust into the starting line-up.

“Me and the gaffer spoke on the phone on Wednesday,” said the 23-year-old defender.

“He told me I’ve got some big boots to fill with Peter being here before and leaving.

“That’s a great move for him but the gaffer just told me he wants his full-backs to get forward and keep the width.

“He wants a modern day full-back and that’s what I want to be so when he said that I knew I was coming to the right place and not somewhere that was just going to lump the ball up and not try and play football.

“Hartlepool want to play football in the right way and if I can be part of that then brilliant.”

Southam-Hales had played just seven minutes of senior football for Fleetwood so far this season as he started his first competitive match of the campaign for Pools just 48-hours after arriving on loan.

“The gaffer told me Wednesday that he’d be looking to start me on Saturday so that’s why they pushed to get me in training on Thursday,” he added.

“I never get too far ahead of myself, I’m not coming here thinking I’m going to start every game and push someone out of the team.

“I’ve got to work for my position but I’m confident and when the gaffer told me I was starting, in the back of my head I was still like I could start, I could not which settled me down.

“When I saw I was starting it was just game mode then and seeing the crowd then I was like this is what I’ve missed it’s good to be back playing real football again.”