Luke Armstrong's former teammate hails Salford City striker as 'most professional' player he's played with and backs him for success at Hartlepool United

JJ O’Donnell played with Armstrong when the striker was on loan at Gateshead in 2018-2019, and believes he can follow up his double on his Pools bow in last night’s win over King’s Lynn with ‘20-30’ goals this season.

Armstrong had a tremendous impact during his six months on Tyneside, scoring 10 goals in 17 matches in the fifth tier.

And O’Donnell has no doubt that the former Middlesbrough academy player can do even better in 2020-21, having signed for Pools from Salford City for the rest of the season.

“At any level, strikers will win you games. But if you’ve got someone who can score 20-30 goals, then you’ve a chance of winning the league, and Luke is definitely capable of that,” O’Donnell told the Mail.

And he should know – having seen Armstrong’s progression first hand over the last six years.

“He actually trained with us at Gateshead about four years before he signed on loan, and resembled a skinny young boy, nothing like what he is today,” added O’Donnell, who is currently on loan at Blyth Spartans from Gateshead.

“He didn’t really have a good grasp on the game, and didn’t have much about him. He was just OK.

“But he’s probably the most professional lad I’ve ever come across. Training started at 10 o’clock, but by then Luke would have already been at the ground a couple of hours.

“We’d train and he would work the hardest out of all of us, and then afterwards he’d be straight back in the gym, bettering himself.”

Armstrong’s positive start to life at Pools came as no surprise to O’Donnell, who saw him net four in his first three games for Gateshead.

“If I know Luke he will be raring to go, and he’s a natural finisher, so I’d be shocked if he doesn’t make an immediate impact,” he admitted.

Two of that early four-goal salvo for the Heed came against Armstrong’s current parent club, Salford.

“Salford were a big club, while we were little Gateshead, so people thought we were in trouble,” O’Donnell recalled.

“But Luke scored two, absolutely bullying their centre-halves, who were big lads too.”

And that physicality means Armstrong can succeed as a lone - as well as a loan - striker at Pools.

“He played up front on his own and had no issues whatsoever, he ran himself into the ground for us,” O’Donnell continued.

“If Dave Challinor does try a different approach, Luke will be just as effective as long as he’s alongside someone who compliments him well.”

Speaking of which, O’Donnell expects another former Gateshead colleague to shine more brightly at Victoria Park with Armstrong is on board, having seen him and Luke Molyneux link up strongly at the International Stadium.

Molyneux spent four months on loan at Gateshead in 2018-19.

“Both Molyneux and Armstrong really bought into what we were trying to do, which often is not the case with loan players,” O’Donnell said.

“Molyneux is maybe more technically gifted, but Armstrong makes up for that with his physicality.

“If you combine them though, you’ve got two very good players who can be huge assets for a successful team.”

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