First team coach Mick Wadsworth brought Manchester City youngster James Poole to the club in October 2010 to cover a couple of injuries in the Pools attack. Poole made half a dozen appearances, mostly from the bench, and scored the third goal in an impressive 3-1 victory against table-topping Brighton. Poole made an impression on Wadsworth during his loan spell, with the Pools coach stating that he may well have another look at the player in the future. He was true to his word, with Pools swooping to sign Poole on a permanent basis in May 2011. Poole scored seven times in an inconsistent first season, and struggled along with the rest of the squad during the first half of 2012/13. The second half of that season saw some glimpses of consistent form, both from Poole and from the team as a whole, though the player was unfortunately injured just as he looked like establishing himself in the side. He had done enough, however, to earn an extension to his contract following the club’s relegation. The 2013/14 season followed a familiar pattern for Poole. He started around half the games, displayed some flashes of genuine quality, but his performances remained frustratingly inconsistent. He was offered a new deal (widely believed to be on reduced terms) at the end of the season, but decided to try his luck elsewhere.