New Hartlepool United signing Tom White opens up about how close he came to signing for the club previously, Barrow National League win and Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers frustrations

The 23-year-old midfielder joined Pools on loan from Blackburn Rovers after his spell at Bolton was cut short in January.

He made nine appearances for the Trotters in League Two but struggled to secure a place in the starting line-up after suffering a knee injury back in October.

Upon arriving at Pools on an initial one month loan deal, White admitted it’s a move he was eager to secure.

“I’ve been monitoring Hartlepool for a while because it’s home for me in the north east and every time I’ve played there I’ve really enjoyed it and the atmosphere is always good,” Pools new number 19 told The Mail.

"I played against Hartlepool for Barrow last season on December 28. It was around Christmas time and the atmosphere at The Vic was unbelievable.

"We went 1-0 up and I was getting a bit of stick which I always enjoy really, it was all in good spirit just after I’d celebrated a goal.

"It sticks in your memory how passionate the fans are and I’ve always been a player who plays at 100-per-cent and wherever I’ve been you could say that. So when you’ve got a fan base who are behind you in the way Hartlepool fans are, it spurs you on even more.”

White was heavily linked with a move to Pools after leaving Gateshead in the summer of 2019. The young playmaker had been in talks with the club before opting to join Championship outfit Blackburn instead.

“I’ve had interest previously from Hartlepool – a few years ago I nearly signed for Craig Hignett,” White admitted.

"It was a long summer, I ended up signing for Blackburn. I’d met the manager and the club didn’t need to sell itself to me, I know all about Pools but I just had an opportunity at that time to go to Blackburn which I couldn’t really turn down.

"I was considering the offer at Hartlepool because I knew how big the club is for this league but in the end Blackburn was just something I had to try signing for a Championship club, former Premier League winners too.

“So [Hartlepool] is always a club I’ve looked at and it’s probably been the worst six months of my career at Bolton so when there was contact from Hartlepool around December time, I told my agent it was something I wanted to get done.”

And almost two years after signing for Blackburn, White is still waiting to make his first team debut having been loaned out to the likes of Barrow, Bolton and now Pools.

“It’s been frustrating so far to be honest, Blackburn is a brilliant football club and I knew it was always going to be tough but I was going there with maybe an outside chance of getting a sniff at the first team.

"So far, I haven’t really found a pathway into that or had an opportunity to impress in training. They’ve been nothing but good to me and they’ve let me go out and play football which has given me a good platform and helped build my reputation up.

"It’s been a good experience but in terms of opportunities there I don’t think I’ve had the chance to have a real go at things yet.”

White joined up with the Pools squad ahead of the ill-fated trip down to Dover Athletic on Friday morning.

The team coach made it as far down as Chesterfield before having to turn around as the match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at the Crabble Athletic Ground.

Focus now switches to Tuesday night’s match against Solihull Moors at Victoria Park with White insisting he’s ready to start and make an impact despite limited game time in recent months.

“I’m 100-per-cent ready to start on Tuesday night," he added.

“I’ve been back at Blackburn for the past couple of weeks just working hard and keeping fit just in case something opened up at Hartlepool. I feel really good and feel fit and fresh and hopefully I can come straight in and help the team.”

White’s previous exploits in the National League include a surprise play-off challenging campaign at Gateshead and a successful title win with Barrow last season. And he’s looking to continue that record of success in the fifth tier at Pools.

“I want to help the side pick up as many points as we can, the team is the most important thing but I want to play football and give everything,” he said.

“We want to be picking up points and closing that gap at the top of the league so we stay right in the mix.

"We won the league last year at Barrow but the circumstances were slightly bitter sweet with the way the season ended.

“We had a lot of belief in the changing room that had we played on we would have gone on to win the league. It was getting tight and Harrogate were on our heels so that experience of getting chased will hopefully hold me in good stead this time around.

"We had a really close-knit team there with everyone pulling in the same direction and from my experience that is integral but fundamentally you need to have a good group of footballers who are able to stick the ball in the net and keep it out as well.

"Everything is set up well for us here and even just sitting on the bus for a bit and speaking to the lads on Friday morning, it seems like a really good group.

"Every person I’ve spoken to about Dave Challinor has told me how good a manager he is so I think Hartlepool is definitely a club heading in the right direction.”

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