Matthew Bondswell talks through his vibrant footballing career which has included stints in Germany, Holland the English top flight.

The left-back, who joined Pools last month, spent eight years in the youth system of hometown club Nottingham Forest while growing up.

“I was playing Sunday league for a while,” Bondswell explained.

“I remember going to a football festival and being scouted by a Forest youth scout. He spoke to my Dad and I went in on trial there.

“I played well and got signed not long after, and ended up being there until the age of 16.”

At that point, a 16-year-old Bondswell moved to Germany and signed for RB Leipzig.

“That was a great experience,” said Bondswell.

“I was playing for England U15s and U16s, which is where they first saw me. They kept an eye on me from there, came to a few Forest games, and that’s how things progressed.

“They asked me to visit their facilities and introduced me to everyone. Their plans were really interesting and forward-thinking, and that’s what drove me there.

“It was a really enjoyable time and I learned a lot. There were some challenges, I had to learn the language. I didn’t speak a word of German before I got there but I had a fantastic teacher and the lads were really helpful.

“Training was really detailed and tactical but I really enjoyed it. On a whole, it developed me as a person and a footballer.”

The left-back also spent time in Holland with Dordrecht, where he played seven games towards the end of 2020.

“It was during Covid,” he stated.

“There wasn’t really any football being played in Germany and it meant my development was getting hindered.

“I spoke to my agent and we agreed I needed to be playing games. There was some interest from Holland so I went out there.

“It was definitely different to what I was used to. At Leipzig, everything was modern in terms of facilities and everything with the Red Bull sponsorship.

“It was a different set-up in Holland. It was another new language that I had to adapt to and the team was struggling at the time.

“They are the sorts of situations where you learn the most about yourself though. In hindsight, it was really good for me.”

Bondswell returned to England in March 2021, signing for Newcastle United.

“I had a couple of opportunities to move back home,” he added.

“I decided to stay in Germany but when Newcastle showed interest, it was a massive opportunity.

“To be back in England with such a historic and well-supported club was amazing. I’m still friends with a lot of people there now.

“It was a good experience and I got to see both sides of their takeover, which created a huge buzz around the city.

“Getting to be around so many quality players helped a lot. I loved played against the likes of Bruno, Joelinton and Saint-Maximin in training. And the defenders there, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier for example, supported me so much.”

After spending last season on loan with Newport County in League Two, the left-back is now ready for his latest challenge at the Prestige Group Stadium.

“I’m delighted to be here at Pools,” he stated.

“It’s been really good here so far, the lads have been great with me. It’s a really tight-knit group here and the standard is impressive.

“The new coaches have come in, alongside Lennie, and I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s a really enjoyable atmosphere at the minute.

“We’ve been on a good run of form over the last few weeks and fingers crossed we can keep it going.”

This interview first featured in our matchday programme against Tamworth on December 10.