Pools midfielder Nathan Sheron has been one of the standout performers at the Prestige Group Stadium so far this season. On Wednesday, the 27-year-old comes up against his former club.

Sheron spent two years at Oldham, making 97 appearances. He also played in both games against Hartlepool last season.

“It’ll be a tough game,” he previewed.

“I keep an eye on Oldham’s results and they’ve done really well, they’ve turned a corner this season. I still speak to quite a few people there and they’re looking really strong.

“It will be two big clubs and two big fanbases going head to head. I remember the two games last season, the atmosphere was different for both sets of supporters and it was quite unique.

“The one on Boxing Day was a strange situation. We trained on Christmas Day and that was spread over social media, so we got booed onto the pitch by our own fans and Joe Grey scored quite early. It could’ve been a really bad afternoon for ourselves.

“The reverse fixture was difficult for Hartlepool with the manager being under pressure. We managed to win both and we thought we could’ve kicked on after that, but we fell off towards the end of the season.

“These are the types of games you want to play in so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Looking back at the midfielder’s arrival at Boundary Park, Sheron joined after a spell with Harrogate Town in 2021/22.

“It was an easy move for myself,” he explained.

“I was at Harrogate and had signed a two-year contract, but they said in the summer that I was free to leave.

“I was familiar with John Sheridan, the Oldham manager at the time, from being at Fleetwood. I enjoyed my time playing under him there so it wasn’t a difficult decision.

“The Club changed ownership, Frank Rothwell came in and it was a really exciting time. Frank brought the community together and he’s been fantastic with the Club, it was brilliant to experience that.

“I loved my time at Oldham, I’ve made friends for life there. I had a really good relationship with the fans and players. My daughter was born there so it has a special place in our hearts.

“Results didn’t go how we wanted them to. We fell short of where we wanted to be, which was disappointing, but that’s how football goes and you grow from that. Myself personally and Oldham have both digested that frustration and moved on from it.”

After two years at Oldham, Sheron switched the West for the East by joining Hartlepool in June.

“It was a new opportunity coming here,” he stated.

“The plans here were really exciting and Oldham couldn’t guarantee the game time I was looking for, so everything made sense for me to come here.

“I really respect Micky Mellon for the conversations we had in the summer. He spoke to me professionally and honestly, and that’s something I really appreciated.

“It had to be the right fit though, and Hartlepool definitely was. The plans were to fight towards promotion and that’s still the main objective.”

Now, having been ever present during his first six months at the Prestige Group Stadium, Sheron is looking forward to the second half of the season.

“I’m loving my time here,” he said.

“My wife and daughter have moved up here with me, and we’ve got another daughter on the way.

“We can’t praise the North East enough. All the lads, the friends we’ve made, even the neighbours – they’ve been fantastic with us.

“The ambition of the Club and the potential here is really exciting. We jumped into it in a sense of moving straight to the area – we wouldn’t have done that if we didn’t feel it was the right fit.

“For me personally, I just want to play football. I’ve done exactly that, I’ve been selected every week, and I’m absolutely loving it here.

“The atmosphere amongst the squad is positive and the coaching staff have added some fresh ideas to the table over recent weeks. We’ve played with smiles on our faces and that’s been the key.

“Hopefully we can start the New Year positively and we can kick on from there.”

This interview features alongside a host of other exciting content in our matchday programme, available for £3 ahead of kick-off or from the Pools Retail website after the fixture.