MICK WADSWORTH insists Hartlepool United’s old guard are the perfect role models.

The coach has a mix of youth and experience in his first-team squad and feels he has some first-rate professionals within the ranks.

Paul Murray turned 35 last month and returned to Carlisle at the weekend to help Pools win at his hometown club, while Sam Collins, 34, was introduced at halftime to help secure the win.

Wadsworth said: “Paul Murray’s just terrific, he’s a warrior – he didn’t have a point to prove in going back and winning at Carlisle. He was a fantastic player as a kid and was a fantastic player at Carlisle for his second spell.

“Then he played in the SPL for a season and then came to us.

“He missed a chunk of preseason with a calf problem and has completed the last two games. But we’ve got some fantastic guys here who are role models for the younger players.

“Sam, Monks, Stevie Haslam, Murray, Humphreys, Collins, Wright now as well – they are 30-plus and are in fantastic condition and that’s not by accident.’’ With almost a fully-fit and available squad at his disposal, Wadsworth said: “It was the right decision to bring Sam on and he was immense.

That’s the strongest bench I’ve had in my time here.

“What’s the next step? Can we kick on? The trick is to keep going, the league table is what it is.

“Work harder when you’re winning is my theory.’’ Collins echoed Wadsworth’s sentiments.

Pools have yet to lose this season after seven games and, with their next two games against Bury and Bournemouth, the captain admitted: “It’s a good start and we have taken a lot of confidence from it. We looked at the fixtures a couple of weeks ago and thought if we could pick our fingers out and pick up a couple of good results then we could do something.

“Then when you pick up points in a good run like this it means you can afford a couple of games without a win.

“We don’t want that to happen, but it probably will and we have to bounce back when it does.’’