Key update on Hartlepool United's loan deal with ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United defender

Mattock was brought in on a short-term loan deal from League Two Harrogate ahead of Hartlepool’s recent National League fixture with FC Halifax Town last month having been left out of Simon Weaver’s plans at Wetherby Road.

The 33-year-old defender has featured in every game since joining John Askey’s side and looks set to continue that trend after Pools reached an agreement to extend his deal until the New Year – similar to that of Zak Johnson’s loan arrangement from Sunderland.

Mattock has plenty of experience having featured for the likes of Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United, among others, in his career, with several promotions on his CV.

The defender enjoyed, arguably, his best performance of his loan spell against York City before Pools took up the option to extend his stay, although the League Two side do hold an option to recall the defender should they choose.

"He’s renewed until the New Year but Harrogate have got a call back on him, so it’s an area where we’ll still need to try and strengthen,” confirmed Askey.

"It’s difficult because of the time of the year – nobody wants to let anybody go around Christmas because they don’t want to leave themselves short. But it is an area where if we can get somebody in, just in case, and to put a bit of pressure on the other two [we will].”

But while Hartlepool will continue to have Mattock available to them, Pools will remain without Pruti after the club agreed to allow the Albanian under-21 international to stay with Farnborough in the National League South.

Pruti joined the Yellows last month and has made five appearances prior to the extension of his loan.

Pruti started Hartlepool’s first game of the season away at Barnet before finding himself out of the team thereafter – the 21-year-old’s only other appearance coming as a substitute in the 3-2 defeat at Chesterfield back in August.