As the countdown continues to Saturday's big kick-off against Colchester, in-form striker James Brown has revealed his sights are set high for the League One campaign.

The 21-year-old has been flying during Pools' pre season schedule, delivering consistently eye-catching displays and looks determined to hit the ground running.

"This is my first real full pre season and it's going well for me," Brown admitted.

"In the past I've had injuries and not been fully fit for pre season which has made things difficult but now I feel sharp and looking forward to getting going.

"I've worked hard during the summer to bulk up and have joined a gym because people kept saying I was a bit of a weed!

"Every pre season I've been told to put a bit on and it's starting to help me now - I've noticed that I'm not getting knocked off the ball as easy and even knocking other players off the ball now too!"

Another reason behind Brown's exciting form is that Danny Wilson has unleashed him in to an attacking role during pre season.

The Pools boss has explained that he perhaps wasn't ready for the rough and tumble of a league campaign up front in previous seasons - but it looks likely he'll get the nod in the new term.

"It's great being up front because that's been my position since as long back as I remember," he told us.

"I enjoyed being on the wing and had success there but being in attack is what I want to do.

"I don't go out there thinking I'm this or I'm that - I just play my game and try to do the best I can and I'm enjoying playing at the moment."

And the confident youngster has flashed a warning to League One defences saying that he is going to be on the prowl for goals.

A prolific scorer during his days in the Youth Team - he hit the net 28 times for them in 2004/2005 - Brown says he's ready to show he can do the business at League One level.

"I always set a target of beating the goals tally I scored in the previous season.

"I think I got 8, then 13 last year and now if I'm going to be playing up front I'd like to think I can hit 20 this season."