CHRIS Westwood started his new career yesterday and admitted one of the worst performances he was part of at Hartlepool United helped shape his decision to move on.

While his former club started pre-season training, Westwood was meeting up with his new Walsall team-mates after he completed his Bosman free transfer.

Westwood was planning to relocate back home to the Midlands and Pool's pitiful defeat to the Saddlers at the end of the season played a big part in his thoughts.

Pool were thumped 3-1 at Victoria Park in what turned out to be Neale Cooper's last game in charge.

And Westwood, a virtual ever-present in his six seasons in the North-East, admitted: "They came to Hartlepool at the end of last season and absolutely tortured us, and I said at the time it was the best team performance I've seen in six years at Hartlepool.

"No other team had ever done that to us on our home patch and that performance was one of the reasons why I decided to come here.

"The way they played showed me a lot about the team and the manager. They played a formation we weren't used to, and that is a managerial decision that could have got him a lot of flak if it had gone wrong.''

And Westwood, who hails from Dudley and will face his former team-mates in the fourth game of the season at Victoria Park on August 20, admitted: "It was partly a family decision, but it was about the fact Walsall are a big club at this level.

"I know they've spent a lot of time in the lower divisions but they've also been at Championship level recently and I believe with Paul Merson at the helm we have a great chance to get back there.

"Leaving Hartlepool was the hardest decision I've ever had to make because I've been here for six years and I've had some great times. I haven't only made friends in football, I've made them in the area as well.

"It was really hard, but the decision had to be made and now I've made it I can't wait to get started."

Pool's pre-season training started yesterday, but a number of the squad who were regulars last season have been granted an extra week's leave.

The likes of Ritchie Humphreys and Micky Nelson played around 60 games last season and they won't start training until next Friday.

And, when they join up with their team-mates, new boss Martin Scott, who this week signed both Lee Bullock and Thomas Butler, has his sights set high.

"Our aim is to win League One. I'm not saying we'll do that, but that is what we'll aim for," he admitted.

"I'm not lowering my standards for anybody. I have high standards and I aim to go one better than last year."

* Sam Aiston, who snubbed a proposed move to Darlington last month, has signed a one-year deal at Tranmere.

Aiston was handed a free transfer by Shrewsbury and Rovers boss Brian Little said: "I was looking for a winger with pace who gets at the opposition and I've found that in Sam Aiston."

l Leeds are no closer to signing former Fulham midfielder Lee Clark, according to the player's representatives.

Whites boss Kevin Blackwell is eager to increase the quality of his midfield this season and has already signed Steve Stone and Eddie Lewis from Portsmouth and Preston respectively.

But Blackwell is keen to add Clark and is still hoping to lure him to Elland Road, despite having failed to agree personal terms.

Read more about Hartlepool here.