NEALE COOPER has revealed life at Hartlepool United could not have been made any easier for him.

The Scotsman was installed in the Victoria Park hot-seat during the summer after the departure of former manager Mike Newell.

And Cooper, who enjoyed a successful six and a half years in charge at Ross County, has put the ease of settling into his new surroundings down to the people around him - including the fans.

"I like it here," said the 39-year-old. "I am working with some great people at the club.

"I have only been here a short while and I am happy in the North-East. I think I have been able to adjust quickly because I found the people here very similar to Scotland.

"The Scottish people and people in Hartlepool seem to share a similar sense of humour."

Cooper took over the reins prior to Pool kick-starting a new campaign at a higher level.

And he has enjoyed a promising start losing just one of his opening six Division Two matches, and guiding his side to a penalty shoot-out victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the Carling Cup.

His tenure at Pool is the first spell in management the former Aberdeen and Aston Villa defender has undertaken in England.

But Cooper, who holds European diploma coaching badges, believes he can continue to steer 12th-placed Pool in the right direction. "Football is the same wherever it's played," said the former Scotland Under-21 international, whose side take on Grimsby Town at home on Friday. "There are a lot of good sides in this league and it will be difficult.

"But we want to just go as high as we possibly can. I have got a strong bunch of lads and they all want to finish well."

* Pool's Reserves travel to York City this afternoon.

Read more about Hartlepool here.