GARY LIDDLE returns to the Hartlepool United side this evening after a weekend off.

The centre-half returned to Pools, playing four games in 11 days, before he was ineligible for the FA Cup trip to Oxford at the weekend.

Without much game time at Walsall before signing for Pools, his previous outing was on November 20 in the FA Cup at Darlington, Liddle is enjoying being back home in the North-East.

“I’ve loved my time here,’’ he admitted. “I’ve had four games in a short space of time since I signed on loan so a rest over the weekend isn’t bad.

“I’ve loved being back at home with the kids and, more importantly, it’s about playing football for me and playing for a club I hold dear to me.

“It’s good to be back.

“Oxford was always going to be a tough one, but the Eastleigh game was always going to be more important for the club. It’s one we need to win.’’

Pools’ boss Dave Challinor always insisted tonight’s game with Eastleigh was of greater significance than the game at Oxford.

It’s a sentiment backed up by Liddle. His last outing was on New Year’s Day, as Pools lost to Harrogate and he said: “The Harrogate game was a scrappy one, but a disappointing one.

“I think both teams cancelled each other out in the main. Maybe with a bit more belief and endeavour in our play we could have come out on top.

“When we upped the tempo we got on the front foot, but just didn’t get that goal.

“I think, since I’ve been at the club years ago and then looked from the outside before I came back, it seems like a club which wins one or two, loses three, draws a couple and never had that consistency.

“We need to find that and we hoped we would be on that after the Dagenham game, but we just didn’t.

“Then we end up drawing and losing again, it’s that consistency we need. We conceded against Harrogate from a ball flashed across the face of goal. We had a header saved, balls put across the box, but don’t seem to get on the end of it.’’

Pools have extended the loan of Tyler Hamilton from Hull City for a further month, while Myles Anderson has returned to Pools. He has been on loan at Aldershot, but only played three times, the last time on December 7.

Left-back Romoney Crichlow-Noble has returned to Huddersfield after his loan at Pools came to an end.