Luke Charman opened up on his return from a long-term injury and called on Hartlepool United to bounce back following yesterday’s 4-1 defeat away to Scunthorpe United.

The Pools forward came off the bench near the hour mark at the Attis Arena, bringing a seven-month wait to return to competitive action to an end.

Last February, Charman suffered a serious ankle injury in a 4-3 win against Solihull Moors, which ruled the forward out for the rest of the campaign. And, following a return to fitness in the summer, the 28-year-old unfortunately faced another injury setback in a pre-season friendly against Grimsby Town.

After missing the opening nine league games this term, Charman discussed his time on the sidelines, along with his determination to help Pools get back to winning ways.

“The seven months have been up there with one of the toughest things I’ve had to come through,” the forward said.

“Not just in terms of football, but life away from football. I think sometimes that’s maybe forgotten that we all have separate lives away from football, and sometimes things happen that can affect you. It’s a warm feeling to be back out there with the lads. 

“We’ve had an honest conversation, and we know where we need to improve. We’ve got to be accountable and pull together in the same direction, because the only people who can change the performances are the lads on the pitch.”

It’s a quick turnaround for Pools, who are back at Victoria Park in the National League on Tuesday night against high-flying Harrogate Town.

“We know we’ve got off to a poor start, which is not acceptable, but if we go and win on Tuesday – that’s a platform to build off,” Charman added.

“We know how good our home ground can be when the fans are with us, and they’re really pushing us through. We’re going to need that massively on Tuesday night.”