JACK BALDWIN has always been a mature footballer, showing experience beyond his years.

From his Hartlepool United debut as a raw 18-year-old to playing for Sunderland in the thick of a promotion challenge, there’s a calmness and authority about his performances. Neale Cooper, the late Pools boss, once compared his game that of Alan Hansen in his Liverpool pomp.

It was clear after moving to Pools from Faversham Town, leaving his home comforts for a chance at professional football at the other end of the country, that he was going to make his mark in the game.

He may not have hit the top level yet, although he was on the brink of a multi-million pound move from Peterborough to Brighton before being struck down with injury.

Only goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin has appeared more in League One under Jack Ross this season and that’s despite being left of the team for almost a month.

Restored to the side in midweek for the 0-0 draw at Barnsley, Baldwin slotted in effortlessly.

“I’m delighted for him because he came out of the team having had a difficult period and the good thing was we stuck by him through some of the difficult games so there was no knee-jerk reaction,’’ said Jack Ross. “When we did take him out for a little while I think he understood it and accepted it. But his reaction has been very good.

“All the players have to take a lot of credit this season for the way they've reacted whenever they've not played. They've always trained properly and done things right.

“You can see the benefits of doing that because when an opportunity opens up there's no switch that needs to be flicked. He's been training properly and been in a good place and he looked fresh, physically and mentally good on Tuesday in a difficult match defensively.

“I'm really delighted with him and pleased that if I've got Jack back in that frame of mind and that performance level, I know the performance level he produced earlier in the season, so it's a bonus for me.’’

And Ross feels the input of his backroom staff, who ensure there’s a strong support network at the club for the players to help them improve and deal with the ups and downs of League One football, has been of benefit to Baldwin.

The manager said: “A lot more players are harsh on themselves than people would believe. Generally they will look more often at the poor points of their performance than the positive parts. That's good to an extent because it shows a willingness to get better and improve and a self-awareness but you've got to walk that balance between it then diminishing your confidence.

“That reminder of you doing things properly, it's important it comes from us as a staff. I've got a staff here who spend a lot of time with the players and watch a lot of clips with them.

“In a lot of the conversations I've had with Jack, even when he's not been involved, I would hope he's never felt that I believe he's a poor player. The belief in my player has remained, it was just an appropriate time for him to have a break mentally and physically because he'd played the most minutes this season of any outfield player prior to that.’’

Ahead of Walsall’s visit to the Stadium of Light today – the Black Cats have yet to beat the Saddlers in three attempts in league and FA Cup this season – Ross admits he was impressed in midweek with Max Power.

The midfielder played in an advanced role at Oakwell in midweek, running off striker Will Grigg.

It almost paid off with Power twice going close to finding a breakthrough.

“He's played it towards the end of games, but Tuesday was the first time he's played there from the start. He gives us a bit more physicality in that area,’’ reflected Ross.

“We just felt it was right for the game and probably the way the conditions turned out, it was probably even more appropriate because it was so difficult in terms of the weather. It gives us another option.

“We're constantly looking for different ways to try and win the game and it could have worked if he'd taken his opportunity in the second half or he'd scored his effort in the first half it would have been seen as genius, wouldn't it! That's the fine line all the time.’’