When Ritchie Humphreys made his debut for Pools in a 1-1 draw with Mansfield Town in August 2001 there could have been few who would have predicted the impact he would have on the Club.

Brought to The Vic after a brief spell with Cambridge United, Humphreys had made his name young when he burst on to the scene with some spectacular goals for hometown club Sheffield Wednesday.

Having been signed by Turner as a striker, Humphreys soon displayed his versatility by operating very effectively in the centre of midfield or on either flank, often cutting in from the right with devastating effect.

He was involved in high drama at the end of his first full season with the Club when his penalty in the play-off semi-final shootout at Cheltenham came down off the bar, hit the keeper, deflected on to the post and stayed out - a miss which eliminated Pools.

However, he bounced back in fine style by leading Pools to promotion with some inspirational displays in 2002/2003 during which he scored eleven goals, was named Player of the Year and was also voted in to the PFA's divisional Team of the Year.

He continued to be a key player as Pools established themselves at the higher level and got the chance to bury his demons when he stepped up to strike home an emotional winning penalty in a play-off semi-final shootout at Tranmere in 2005 which sent Pools to the Millennium Stadium Final.

He was wracking up the appearances for the Club by then and became the first player to start in 200 consecutive league game during the 2005/2006 campaign.

His unbelievable run ended on 234 when he was named on the bench for a game at Hereford the following season.

After a brief loan spell at Port Vale, Humphreys returned to The Vic refreshed and re-established himself as the first-choice left-back at the Club.

As well as carrying out his defensive duties, the whole-hearted Humphreys also weighed in with some crucial goals against Accrington, Walsall and Boston as Pools drove to automatic promotion and he was once again named in the PFA Select XI.

Accolades have come thick and fast during his time at Pools with Player of the Year prizes in 2002/2003, 2005/2006 and 2007/2008.

At a special Centenary Dinner in 2008, he was not only named Player of the 2000s but also scooped the prestigious Player of the Century prize, as voted for by supporters.

Despite missing the start of the 2009/2010 campaign through a rare injury, he still recovered to play his part, usually operating in the centre of midfield.