THE FA Cup draw hadn’t been completed, and Nathan Buddle’s phone was going non-stop.

The centre-half, once of Hartlepool United and now with Blyth Spartans was given his dream tie; a return to Victoria Park 18 months after being freed.

“I had just done an interview before the draw, was asked who I wanted and said Hartlepool because I’ve been there three years,’’ he reflected.

“I really couldn’t believe it happened – straight away I was getting texts and calls from lads I know telling me they were playing up front against me.

“I played with Brad Walker and Lewis Hawkins who could both be involved. We are still friends and it will be surreal playing against them.

“I’m good friends with Jordy (Jordan Richards), he plays right back or right wing and he reckons he spoke to the gaffer to play up front – it started straight away and it’s not stopped since.’’

It won’t stop until the tie is over. Whoever wins probably won’t even stop then.

Buddle is one of the many players out there whose dream of becoming a footballer was suddenly halted. It’s not so much that it ended, more the manner in which it did.

A regular in the reserve side, Buddle never appeared for Pools’ first-team. Friday will be his first proper outing at Victoria Park.

“It was a bit strange,’’ he reflected. “The lads whose contracts were up were told who was staying and who wasn’t by Russ Green (the chief executive). Then the gaffer was in holiday in America and he was on the phone asking who had been released.

“I always had that little doubt in my mind if John Hughes really did want to release me. I always felt the gaffer liked me as a player. He spent a lot of time with me.

“You could trust him with anything on and off the pitch. He was a top-class centre-half and helped me develop. He would offer me little incentives – buying my dinner the next day if I did a certain thing well in reserve games. I would try and hope it came off even if it didn’t!’’

He added: “It’s a big shock when you leave professional football, it’s all I ever wanted to do and I had that opportunity at Hartlepool, first as a scholarship and then I signed professional.

“At the time you think you are in and know you have to kick on and develop, but it’s a massive culture shock. For the first couple of months, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. The dream to be a footballer is taken away.’’

Buddle is now working for his step dad, as a dry liner and partitioner while playing part-time.

Like the majority of his team-mates, the ambition to get back into the full-time game remains.

“It’s a massive occasion for everyone connected with Blyth. I do have a point to prove and it’s one to really look forward to,’’ he admitted.

“A lot of the lads here feel the same. Steven Turnbull was at Pools as a player, Peter Jeffries, our goalkeeper, is a Hartlepool lad.

“There’s loads of lads who want to prove we are good enough. Hartlepool aren’t doing well right now and we want to go there and test them.

“I agree with what the gaffer has said in that Hartlepool are struggling, so of course you would rather play a team at the bottom of the table than one flying high at the top. Their confidence will be low and ours at the minute is fairly high – it’s an ideal time to play them, but you cannot deny we are underdogs.

“I could be marking Marlon Harewood, he’s played in the Premier League and you want to play against the best. Adam Campbell is a Newcastle player there on loan now, these are the games you want to play in. Harewood will be a great challenge for me and one I want to live up to.’’

The spotlight has been on Buddle and Co this week.

With their interviews, and photo shoots out of the way, now it’s about focus. The team will meet up early on Friday and head for Ramside Hall in Durham for a pre-match meal and team meeting. There’s no arriving in dribs and drabs for this one.

“We have had the profile of the club raised and we have embraced it all,’’ said Buddle. “We have seen the cameras at training and all that comes with it, but we haven’t been distracted by it.

“The other night we had to be dressed up as Spartans in training which was different, a bit mad, but it’s all part of it.

“But on Tuesday night the message was that we had got things out of the way now, this is now time to focus. Everyone’s mind is on the game, despite the build-up and attention.

“We are trying to approach Friday’s game professionally, a pre-match meal and getting the lads in together early so we are there as one.

“If we go with the belief we can, then we will give it our all and see where it takes us.’’

“We know it will be tough, but hopefully what I know about Hartlepool can help us out.’’