NEALE Cooper's newest recruits are being primed for the big kick-off on August 9.

While the new boss made a winning start to his Hartlepool United managerial career on Tuesday with a 6-0 success over Dutch side Top Oss, it's the condition of his players he is most concerned with.

Close-season signings Marco Gabbiadini and Micky Nelson played on Tuesday and will again be in action tonight when Pool meet Heerenveen.

And while Gabbiadini - who hit the post on Tuesday after just 81 seconds - had a 45-minute workout, Cooper admitted the real business begins at Peterborough where Pool kick-off their Division Two campaign in three weeks' time.

The rest of the squad have had summer fitness programmes to stick to and Cooper said: "Marco was always going to play something like 45 minutes and then come off - we always knew that.

"He's a little bit behind some of the lads because he's only been back training a couple of weeks.

"We thought 30-45 minutes was good for him. Our boys have had programmes to follow over the summer but he hasn't while he's been without a club so it's only natural he will come along a bit later as he builds on it.

"Michael Nelson will be a major star for us next season. He is very commanding and is a big strong lad. He can get up and down the pitch and is dominating in the air.

"He will get better and better with every game. When he came he was honest enough to admit he was behind some of the lads in terms of fitness because he's had a summer off and the transfer came about very quickly.

"He's a great lad and our fans will see that.''

Tuesday was Cooper's first in control of Pool and added: "I learnt a lot from Tuesday's game - I know I've got a bunch of boys who are willing to very hard for each other."

Tonight's opposition, Heerenveen, should prove a sterner test than Top Oss, but they are likely to field a second XI. Former Newcastle striker Jon-Dahl Tomasson's is among the Dutch First Division side's former players.

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