AFTER making his return to professional football last weekend, Stephen Wright admitted he was like 'a kid at Christmas'. It's a feeling Nathan Luscombe gets every day.

Wright has played in the Champions League for Liverpool, the stuff of dreams for the Scouser, but the thrill of a game for Hartlepool United meant everything.

Luscombe, who cleaned Wright's boots as a trainee when they were both at Sunderland. Seven days ago the midfielder scored his first professional goal, finishing off Exeter with a late second in Pools' 2-0 win.

You could say Christmas had come early.

“The lads were playing well and all I was hoping for was the last 10 minutes,'' said Luscombe.

“The gaffer said to me that we needed to change it and keep the ball a bit better. He told me to get forward and get in the box as well and luckily enough the ball came to me and I wasn't going to pass from there.

“It's my first professional goal and that's a very good feeling.

“I've scored goals in the reserves before, when it's a man and his dog, but in front of 5,500 fans shouting your name it's a totally different feeling.

“All my friends and family were at work but I checked my phone after the game and had a load of messages.

“All my mates were down the pub and they left me voicemails cheering and singing 'there's only one Nathan Luscombe'.

Luscombe was freed by Steve Bruce towards the end of last season, but was soon taken up by Pools, with Wadsworth impressed by his tenacity.

And Luscombe now, part of the Pools first team squad, feels as is he is a proper footballer after looking on from a distance at the Stadium of Light,

“No disrespect to Sunderland, they've got great people and great coaches, but it's a man's game here,'' he said.

“When you're a reserve player you don't get told off as much. They say it's a learning curve. We weren't called the reserves, we were called the development squad, even though we were 21.

“So I thank Hartlepool for giving me this second chance. It's a totally different ball game.''

Gateshead-born Luscombe is determined to make the most of his second chance. But admits returning to pre-season training out of condition wasn't the best thing he's ever done.

“I came back overweight before we went Holland on tour in pre-season,'' he admitted.

“The gaffer sat me down, not in front of the lads, and he just said 'listen, you've let yourself down, nobody else, just yourself'.

“He gave me a second chance in my career and I owe it to him and the club.

“And I think by scoring that pays a little bit back.

“It's taken me two months to get here when, if I'd looked after myself in the summer, it would have taken three weeks.

“Hopefully next year when I come back I'll know to hit the ground flying.''

He added: “I think it's brilliant here. There's a great bunch of lads.

“At Sunderland the changing room was divided into first-team and reserves but we're all together as one down here.

“It's a little club but it's got a big heart. It's a little, tight club but with big expectations and that's what I like.

“Everything about it – fans, players, staff, make you feel right at home.

“But if you're doing something wrong they'll tell you and they won't let you bugger it off.''

Luscombe has suffered the harsh reality of first-team football already this season, serving a three-game suspension after he was sent off against Walsall in Pools' first League One home game this season.

A two-footed lunge on defender Andy Butler could easily have been a yellow card as it was red, and the time forced on the sidelines was tough.

“The sending off was just a bit of a head loss,'' he confessed. “I thought I won the ball but when I looked on the video when the gaffer pulled me in I have to agree he was right not to appeal.

“For a split second I have come in two-footed. I had to intention of hurting the lad but the referee has seen it as dangerous play and I'll learn from that.

“Three weeks of sitting on the sidelines was hard and you're just itching to get back.

“I was gutted. When the lads are sitting in the meeting on a Friday doing their team shape and you're doing extra running – which you have to do if you're not playing – it's hard because no-one wants to be doing that, you want to be relaxing and preparing for a game.

“But the physios have been great with me and they've put me through my paces to keep on top of things.

“There was one against Exeter where the ball ran away from me a little bit and if that hadn't of happened against Walsall I would have went in for it – that's part of learning though. ''