Keith Curle confirms Hartlepool United exit with ex-Leeds United man to return to Barnsley

Hartlepool boss Curle confirmed to The Mail Oduor will return to Barnsley, bringing a premature end to his season-long loan deal.

Oduor arrived at the Suit Direct Stadium from the League One club on transfer deadline day in the summer under previous manager Paul Hartley who described the former Leeds United man as a No.10.

But it’s a position we have rarely seen Oduor feature in since joining the club having had to fill in on the left side of defence a number of times in recent months.

Oduor has made 14 appearances for Hartlepool, starting seven of those, but has not featured since the FA Cup second round win over Harrogate Town and has not started in the league since the 2-1 win over Grimsby Town back in October.

Oduor was with the Hartlepool squad at the Crown Oil Arena as Rollin Menayese and Callum Cooke secured a significant win for Pools against Rochdale but the Barnsley man was left out of the 18-man match day squad.

And having revealed Oduor will return to his parent club, Curle has challenged the 23-year-old to go and be successful in his next career move.

“Clarke is going back on January 1 so it wasn’t fair to risk him when he’s only got another four or five days with us. But it was important for him to be able to travel,” Curle told The Mail.

“I think it’s for the lads benefit as well as ourselves. He hasn’t been gaining the game time.

“I think Clarke would probably agree he came to the football club to get game understanding. He plays the game a lot in the middle of the pitch and technically he’s got good ball mastery, he can service the ball very, very well, but it’s having an impact on the game as well.

“I spoke to him today before the game and said I go and watch a lot of under-23’s and under-21’s football and I see lots of people who have got good ball mastery and have good ball technique but they don’t impact the game.

“So I said to Clarke, your next move, when you come off the pitch ask yourself ‘have I impacted the game in a positive way in the final third’ because the kid can be scary when he faces you up.”

Oduor made his Hartlepool debut when coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Colchester United just days after completing his loan switch to the Suit Direct Stadium.

The 23-year-old had a hand in Hartlepool’s first league win of the campaign when assisting Josh Umerah’s opening goal against Doncaster Rovers, one of three assists in total in all competitions, before scoring his first, and only, goal for the club in the 2-1 defeat at Swindon Town.

Oduor’s return means Curle will have another loan slot available within his ranks during the January transfer window.