BACK in the North-East and Thomas Butler is enjoying his football once more.

After an acrimonious departure from Sunderland at the start of this season, Butler moved north of the border to play for Dunfermline.

He left The Pars in January and signed for Hartlepool United on transfer deadline day last week.

The former Republic of Ireland international made a quickfire Pool debut in the Good Friday defeat to Huddersfield and is hoping to turn his short-term contract at Victoria Park into a longer affair.

Butler, who turns 24 today when Pool face Swindon at Victoria Park, said: "It's a chance for me at this club. I'm here for a few weeks on a short-term contract and then anything can happen.

"Hopefully I can do well and impress so the manager will want to keep me longer.''

He added: "I've settled in well here, obviously I know Ben Clark from our time at Sunderland and I know a lot of the lads from playing in the North-East over the last few years.

"I live local as well, so I know what's going on at the club.

"My initial impressions are good ones. The players are a good bunch and good footballers. It's nice to be part of a club like this. We are in a good position with a few games to go and it's all to play for.

"You can see the quality in the squad.''

Butler's debut came just hours after signing for Pool.

He trained with the club after being approached by Martin Scott, Pool's assistant manager and a former Sunderland team-mate, played for the club's reserve side in a win at Barnsley last Wednesday, signed last Thursday and made his bow as a second-half substitute on the Friday.

Buter was given a little under 30 minutes in the second-half as Pool tried to claw back a one-goal deficit and impressed on the left wing.

And he admitted: "Last Friday against Huddersfield was one of those nights - it just wouldn't go.

"I thought we dominated for long periods and created a lot of chances in the second-half, it was one of those days.

"I was reasonably happy with the way I played. I had half an hour or so and it was nice just to get on and get a chance.

"I was quite happy with it - I'm not fit yet and I haven't played for a while now.

"Maybe I'm still a week or two away from fitness, hopefully I will get there soon.

"I played against Barnsley in the reserves just before I signed for the club and that was my first game for a while. It was a good workout.''

He added: "It was a bit of a surprise to be involved against Huddersfield. The manager, during training earlier in the day, told the lads who weren't involved to go for a run - and I wasn't included, so I was happy with that!

"It's nice for the manager to show some faith in so quickly. I haven't played football for a while, so it's nice to be in and involved in the game again.''

Butler made 14 appearances in Scotland, eight starts, six substitute, before his contract wasn't renewed.

He faced both Celtic and Rangers during his stint, but admitted home games at Dens Park were a problem on the plastic pitch.

"I enjoyed my time in Scotland, but the game is very fast,'' he admitted.

"In the Premier League in England it doesn't seem to fast, players have more of the ball, then you drop down to the Championship and it's faster and more so the further you go.

"Scotland is very quick, really fast as well and the pitch we played on at Dunfermline was synthetic so it makes it even faster still.

"I know it's been said about the plastic pitches hurting your joints after games and it's right, you really ache and it's even worse for defenders if they go sliding about, they will feel it.''

Pool boss Neale Cooper, meanwhile, has urged his team to ensure they are not dependent on other teams to help guarantee a place in the play-offs come May.

Despite an indifferent run of form, Pool have remained in the top six, but Cooper wants to see his team back to their best starting against Swindon today.

He said: "The only comfort has been when we have not won that other teams have also slipped up.

"But you can't go on relying on other teams like that and it is very important that we start getting back to winning ways.

"There are a lot of sides below us going for the play-off places."