RITCHIE Humphreys knows exactly the sort of position Paul Robinson found himself in - he's been there before.

Humphreys started his career with a bang in the big time, but saw his hopes of making it at the highest level fade as his club suffered from a rack of poor managers and an infiltration of below-par foreign imports forcing out the home-grown talent.

The promising striker then forged a new start elsewhere and a move to Hartlepool United soon led to the best and most enjoyable football of his career.

Now for Humphreys and Sheffield Wednesday, read Robinson and Newcastle United.

Robinson started out at Darlington, 24 games and three goals later and a move to the big time followed, as he headed for St James' Park in a joint deal with Feethams' compatriot James Coppinger.

And four years on from the night which thrust him into the big time, it's only now that Robinson is shaking off the shackles that marked his elevation to the big stage, but in turn threatened to hinder him ever since.

August 25, 1999 and Robinson started Newcastle's St James' Park derby with Sunderland. It made natrional headlines, a 20-year old rookie had replaced the Geordie talisman Alan Shearer.

Gullit was making the ultimate statement in a war of attrition with Shearer and there was only going to be one winner. Gullit's downfall was all but complete; Robinson, the innocent party, later followed.

A little under a year on - 349 days to be precise - a £1.5m move to Wimbledon followed. Not a fee to be sniffed at, but a transfer which never suited Robinson.

And after only three games and no goals for the Dons, he scrapped around on loan at Burnley and Grimsby before leaving London.

The chance to move back to the North-East and try his luck at Hartlepool this summer appeared to be the last chance saloon.

Now ever-present this season, his seven goals have taken him to the top of the Division Two scoring charts and Pool to the top echelons of the table. A first hat-trick followed eight days back as Pool pummelled Grimsby 8-1.

And Humphreys? He can look on with a smile of satisfaction. The rehabilitation of both is complete.

"He's been excellent,'' admitted Humphreys, who had been out on loan at Cardiff and Scunthorpe before ending up at Cambridge after leaving Hillsborough prior to moving to Victoria Park.

"He's been very sharp and fully deserved his hat-trick last week - look at how he closed down the centre-half for his second goal. He is showing everyone how he can play.

"He's a real lively character and has come in and really livened up the dressing room. He has come here knowing this is one of his last chances and he is making the most of it.

"There's quite a few players here in that situation and it is going well for everyone. The quality of players filtering down the leagues is going up because the quality of the Premiership is going up all the time.

"He is a quality player and is still willing to learn - I think you can see that.''

Robinson started with a goal at Peterborough on the opening day of the season and has grown in stature and reputation from there. Manager Neale Cooper is an effervescent character on the sidelines; Robinson likewise in the dressing room and on the training ground.

The Sunderland-born 24-year-old joined Pool on trial pre-season. As the squad headed for Holland, Robinson was left behind, but he used that time well, training with the youth team at Victoria Park.

That sent out the right signals to Cooper and a contract soon followed. The pair have hit it off and Robinson said: "The gaffer has been brilliant for me, you can see the confidence he has given me and the rest of the lads as well.

"I love running with the ball - obviously I've lost it a couple of times while doing it, that's part and parcel of football - and he encourages me to do it.

"Confidence at this club is very high. The lads here before me got promoted from the Third Division and they have carried it on. A lot of people thought we would struggle, but it's nice to prove a lot of people wrong.''

As a youngster, Robinson was a Gold Card holder at Roker Park. His goalscoring hero was Marco Gabbiadini; now his partner in crime at Victoria Park.

Gabbiadini, with four goals himself this season, said: "He has looked sharp and it's good to play alongside him.

"He's got the ability we all know he's played at the highest level.

"Apparantly he used to come and watch me play for Sunderland, but he looks as old as me so I don't know how! He says I was his boyhood hero, so I don't know how that makes me feel.''

Pool are exceeding expectations so far. Just one defeat sees Cooper's side in a healthy and record-equalling second spot in Division Two.

"We are enjoying ourselves at the moment,'' said Robinson. "At the start of the season all I wanted to do was get back in the squad and be involved on a Saturday. Getting on the bench would have been nice.

"But I started the season in the team and scored and it has grown from there. I'm loving it. The lads here have come into a new league and want to prove a lot of people wrong - I think we are doing that.

"I don't set myself any goal targets. When I first signed for Wimbledon I did and it went pear-shaped down there. Now it's a case of whatever I get, I'm happy with.

"My last hat-trick was with Darlington in the semi-finals of a youth team tournament against Scunthorpe. There was no match ball then though!

He added: "Before last Friday, I've never scored more than one goal in a game.

"To get the match ball is something else, especially against an old club of mine and one where I probably didn't do myself justice. Now everything is going so well and long may it continue.'