MATTHEW BATES had no qualms about handing the captaincy to Liam Noble last week.

In the absence of skipper Andrew Davies, Bates needed someone to take on the leadership role at Hartlepool United.

In a squad containing three former Pools skippers in Carl Magnay, Nicky Featherstone and Scott Loach, Bates opted for Noble.

The summer signing from Notts County has captained in this division before, leading Forest Green to promotion two years ago.

And the effervescent presence in the dressing room and training round was, for Bates, an obvious choice.

He will lead Pools out at Dagenham and Redbridge this afternoon and again at the Super 6 Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday when Chesterfield visit.

“Making Liam captain was a simple choice, he’s captained in this league and higher before. He’s good with the players as anyone can see when they are around him,’’ said Bates, who signed Luke Williams on Thursday – the former Middlesbrough attacker has been training with Pools after leaving Scunthorpe at the end of last season.

“He’s like a big kid at times. He’s a natural captain. I knew it wouldn’t affect him mentally as he will just get on with it.

“He’s a different kind of character to Andrew Davies, he leads by example, but Liam is different. He is one that will get the camaraderie going, get the banter going, pull everyone together. And he leads on the pitch as well, he’s been magnificent for us.’’

And Bates, after last weekend’s first win of the season over Maidenhead, added: “There’s a few in the squad who have been captains before. I’ve said in the past that I don’t see the big fuss over who is wearing the armband. We’ve got Mags who has been captain and has been a leader on the pitch. No team is successful with one captain, you need a few leaders and we have them.’’

Davies injured his left ankle two weeks ago, landing awkwardly after a header. The diagnosis isn’t as bad as it could be and Bates is hoping his summer signing from Ross County is back sooner rather than later.

“There’s no timescale on his return, no operation and we just let it heal – he’s got a grade two tear in ankle ligaments and then we wait and see how it goes,’’ said the manager. “We hope it’s not longer than another month, but we don’t know until we get going.

“The swelling is going down nicely, he’s off his crutches and his moon boot so it’s improving by the day. It would be another couple of weeks before he can start any rehab and look at a return.’’

Pools headed off for East London yesterday and trained on the way. They will be in for training tomorrow to prepare for Monday.

He said: “We have had decent performances, one defeat in five is how I look at it. But points total hasn’t; been what it should be in terms of performance. We only really look at the table – and I’ve often said it – after ten games in the division.

“We have had performances which have deserved better results, so keep the performance levels high and the results will follow.

“The win gives the players a relief and it’s nice to win at home and see their reaction at the end.

“Dagenham will be hungry for a win, I’ve watched them play and they’ve not had much luck. We want to start fast, be quick out of the blocks and take the game away from them. That’s the aim.

“Winning brings confidence and it’s good for everyone. We have started games really well and we need to sustain it for longer periods, silence their crowd and get a positive result.’’