PRE-SEASON for Sam Collins has been a strange one.

The Hartlepool United assistant manager, 38, started out at Huddersfield in 1994. This time, he’s been watching from afar rather than taking part, barking the orders than receiving them.

His 586th and last appearance was in Pools’ 3-1 home defeat to York last November, during a season which he started as an experienced hand in the middle of the back four, twice had stints as caretaker manager, before settling in as Ronnie Moore’s right hand man.

Collins has yet to officially announce his retirement, but it would be a major shock if he was too appear next season.

Pools go to Gateshead today, looking for a response following Tuesday’s 4-0 friendly defeat to Scunthorpe.

Until then, pre-season in terms of games – four games without defeat – and recruitment – ten new signings – had gone seamlessly.

“It’s been very different for me. I’ve had 20-odd pre-seasons over my career, but this is the first time I’ve sat it out and looked on,’’ reflected Collins, who moved to Pools from Hull City in January 2008 and made 269 appearances.

“The lads had a great week at Catterick Garrison and I was itching to get involved! But it’s been a good pre-season on the training ground since the first day the lads came back.

“We have a really good bunch of lads, no moaning or groaning and everyone has got on with it and got stuck into it.

“There’s a lot of new signings here this summer and we did a lot of work looking into everyone. We spoke to a lot of people and did homework on the signings.

“It’s important to have a good group, no bad eggs in the camp. We’ve lads who want to work hard and learn and work for each other and that’s exactly what we have got.’’

While last season, boss Ronnie Moore was never shy of letting people know what his opinions of some members of the playing squad he inherited, this time it should be different.

Moore and Collins have revamped and reshaped the squad with ten new signings and the chance of more to come.

And Collins admitted they did plenty of research into the new recruits before they were signed.

“Character is so important, it’s massive in this division with the teams we are going to come up against and the players we will be facing,’’ he said.

“If you have someone in the team who is pulling in a different direction to everyone else then they are no use to anybody.

“We know we have a full squad here and know that when things get tough then people will pull together and chip in to help each other out.

“At some point that will help us. In any league you can’t have someone who won’t work with the rest of them.

“The week at Catterick was all about that. Not just the physical side of it, but the mental side and the camaraderie.

“When someone was struggling then the other lads pulled them through and helped them over the line.

“It’s all relative to when the football season starts – it’s not about wearing an army suit in a match, but it signifies the spirit and unity of what it was about.

“That will put us in good stead for the season. We had nine new lads with us, they were in each other’s pockets all the time, learning about each other and it can only help us.’’

Midfielder Michael Woods will start today’s game. He made a brief substitute outing in midweek after recovering from a broken leg, suffered at the end of February.