AS the great Leeds United meltdown continues, Ian Moore has happily swapped the carnage of Elland Road for a more sedate footballing life at Hartlepool United.

But there's no way the striker views a move to Victoria Park as a step down; it's the chance to win back the lost years of his career.

Since leaving Burnley for Leeds in March 2005, the striker has hardly enjoyed any sort of stability.

He made 14 starts last season and was substituted in eight of those, appeared 19 times on the bench under both Ian Blackwell and Dennis Wise and scored just two goals.

Moving to Pools, promoted into League One last season, should present the chance to get Moore's form and career back towards the level which twice saw him move for a million pounds.

Some 72 goals in 424 Football League outings mean an average of a goal every 5.8 games for the hard-working front man, who will come up against his dad, Ronnie, when Pools meet Moore senior's Tranmere side this season.

The chance to play regular, first-team football at Victoria Park this campaign should see those statistics improve.

"I want to get my career back on track, I'm not that old - I'm only 30 - but I've had a couple of years in the wilderness at Leeds,"

he admitted.

"I played a few games last season, but I'm trying to get myself back and get a few goals - that's my aims for the season.

"We had something like seven or eight strikers at Leeds and when I was playing, it was out on the wing. I would play a couple of games and then be left out. It was hard to get any sort of run in the team, which is what you need.

"I was only getting two or three games and then out again, there was no consistency for me. The manager picks the side and all you can do is try your best - that's what I did, but it wasn't enough for Leeds."

Moore has an early return to Elland Road to look forward to.

Pools go there for their fifth game of the season, on September 8.

"I've left the club and came to a club which is on the up," he believes.

"Leeds are expected to do well, they are a massive club, a massive team - maybe not so much now but there is an unbelievable aura about the place.

"I think we will have a good chance against them this season, I watched them against Darlington in pre-season and there is nothing to worry about.

"There's a couple of big games I'm looking forward to - Leeds and Tranmere. Leeds is first up and every team in the division will look forward to that one.

"It was the same last season in the Championship, teams looked at it as their cup final. And when teams turned it on against them and went for it, they couldn't cope with it.

"Keep the crowd quite for 30 to 35 minutes or so and then the pressure starts to tell. It will be the same this season."

He added: "I've never played in this division, it's always been in the Championship or the Premiership so it's new to me.

"But I've seen enough here already that there are some really good, young players who want to play football the right way. Loius van Gaal said some nice things about us last week after the game with AZAlkmaar and it doesn't surprise me at all.

"I watched quite a lot of games last season, especially with Tranmere playing Friday nights, so I know quite a bit about this division and I don't think there's much to be scared of.

"It's hard to nail one club who you think will run away with it, they are much of a muchness and getting off to a good start will be the key.

"I don't set a goal target, it just puts pressure on your back, but I'm pretty confident I can score goals in this division. I've done it in the division above, so I am sure I can in this league as well."

Moore is in contention to play up front at Kenilworth Road tomorrow with Richard Barker.

Boss Wilson also has the option - he used it in pre-season - of playing three strikers and Moore is happy to adapt either way.

Barker ended last season as the division's leading scorer with 24 strikes for Pools and Mansfield, and Moore admitted: "I knew all about Barks before I came here - he played under my dad at Rotherham, so I know his strengths and his weaknesses.

"All I can hope for is the chance to play alongside him and hopefully get a good partnership going.

"I'm a striker and a lot of the time I've played on the wing. But I enjoy playing as a striker, with a target man in the forward line.

"Or like we did against Alkmaar, I didn't play as a main striker, I was dropped off a bit and we have the option to play three up front.

"I'm not going to say I'm going to be playing every week, because it's not like that here, there's a lot of good players at the club and a lot of competition to keep everyone on their toes."