ANDREW Taylor, the former Middlesbrough left-back, is attracting interest from Hartlepool United.

While Pools boss Craig Hignett has already signed six players this summer and has utilised his budget, chairman Raj Singh has hinted that there could be scope for more additions after the club sold more than 3,000 season tickets before Friday’s discounted deadline.

Myles Anderson and Mark Kitching are both capable of playing left-back, but Taylor is a specialist in that role and is available with the future of Bolton Wanderers, where he was captain last season, still to be finalised after financial turmoil.

A return to the North-East and his home town appeals to Taylor and it is understood Pools have spoke with the 32-year-old.

Whether he would be willing to drop out of the Football League remains to be seen, but the left-back is weighing up his future options.

Pools put six past Shildon on Saturday, days after opening their pre-season with a 4-0 win at Billingham Town. Hignett’s side are at Newton Aycliffe on Tuesday evening.

Liam Noble, trialist Jason Kennedy and Liam Smith, Aaron Cunningham and two from Luke Molyneux saw Pools home.

Hignett said: “We look fit, we look strong and we look a real handful if I am being honest.

“We’ve obviously got a lot options now but you can see the lads getting fitter now because even from Tuesday to this game we looked a yard quicker.

“They were ruthless on Tuesday and I said that they needed to be again, and I will keep reinforcing that because I don’t want us to be happy winning 1-0 or 2-0 – go and get three, go and get four.’’

Pools (first-half): Killip (Catterick 39), Kioso (75), Raynes, Cunningham, Kitching, Mafuta, Kennedy, Noble, Hawkes, Kabamba, Toure.

Second-half: Catterick, Cunningham (Webster 66), Kioso, Richardson, Featherstone, Bale, Holohan, Smith, Molyneux, James, Muir.