DEVANTE RODNEY said the chance to move to Salford City and head home was too good to reject.

The attacker left Hartlepool United yesterday for the newly-promoted National League side, signing a two-year deal after rejecting the offer of a new deal at Victoria Park.

Pools will pick up £20,000 for his services.

Rodney, who follows Scott Harrison out of the door after the centre-half moved to Falkirk on Thursday, admitted: “When this opportunity came about I couldn’t turn it down – it’s an ambitious club and the owners are ambitious.

“I’d like to think I bring energy to the side, speed and power and I can score goals. It’s a very difficult league, very competitive and I believe the quality we have in the dressing room can push us to the top.’’

The attacker split opinion at Victoria Park. Signed from Sheffield Wednesday, the Manchester-born 20-year-old scored only four times in 45 appearances.

His performances were of an erratic nature throughout his time at Victoria Park. He was more hit than miss and never looked like becoming the £1m player who the club’s then head of football operations Paul Watson claimed he would be.

Three of his goals were memorable – two against Doncaster Rovers on the final day of the 2016/17 season looked like securing the club’s Football League status before a late Newport goal condemned them to the drop – and he netted a last-gasp leveller from distance at Fylde last season.

Pools also lost Liam Donnelly to Motherwell and boss Matthew Bates is out to add to his back line. The three departures will give him some scope in the transfer market, although there has been little interest in the other players he has made available.

He hopes to sign left-back Scott Barrow from Gateshead, but another target from the Heed – who have this week announced they will be a part-time club next season – Danny Johnson has signed for Motherwell.

Bates is expected to land Ross County captain Andrew Davies, who wants to be closer to his family in Middlesbrough and is expected to leave the SPL side.

County co-boss Steven Ferguson said: “It’s more down to his mindset, looking to get back down the road just with family issues.

“We’re all bubbling away just now and we need to let it play out. He will know in his mind when he comes back where he’s going to be playing his football and it’s highly unlikely that it’s going to be here. But there’s nothing concrete.

“We spoke to Andrew – he was in the gym before he went on holiday. We know there’s hearsay and bits and bobs of interest from down the road and we just need to wait.’’

Pools will bide their time in the transfer market this summer. While Bates hopes to move players on to allow him room for manoeuvre, the club accepts it will take time and the squad won’t be in place until the season begins.

Craig Hignett, the club’s director of football, is working alongside Bates to get the club back on a firm footing after the takeover by Raj Singh.

He said: “It’s important the club builds and has a philosophy. I tried to do it when I was manager here and it was pulled - people I signed in the summer were being sold in January. That’s the way a club needs to run, I went through it at Crewe.

“You can build something and we want a manager here who isn’t always worried and looking over his shoulder. Lose 12 games in a row and it’s natural to wonder.

“As long as the club is getting better – and we know what’s happening behind the scenes – we will give Matty all the help and advice he needs. He knows that.

“There’s a lot of stories come out about the club, a lot of tittle tattle going on. Some true, some not. We have to be honest with each other and fans need to be involved at some point with certain stuff.’’

He added: “Everyone needs to be together and that’s the only way it will grow. We need a real family feel about the place. Results dictate how people feel about the place and it hasn’t been good.

“People panic – you see people online panicking about the smallest things. The club is here and it very nearly wasn’t going to be.

“Don’t worry about when the retained list is coming out, it doesn’t matter. You still have a football club and it is being run in the right way.

“Trust me – the people in charge of the club now care. It is in good hands.’’

The club’s ticket office will be open from 10am to 2pm today for season ticket sales, allowing supporters to take advantage of early bird discounts.