SCOTT IS ready to return from the cold, icy wilderness where he found himself, to a warm, welcoming embrace.

Under Tony Pulis, Pompey defender Scott Hiley was left with colder shoulders than Captain Oates near the tent flap so the former Saints defender is positively basking in the warm glow of Steve Claridge's appointment.

Hiley paid a high price for the taint of being signed by Alan Ball, playing just one league game under Pulis after his appointment in January when he starred in Pompey's win at Ipswich.

Since then, his only other first-team action apart from non-appearances from the bench has been the dead Worthington Cup second round, second-leg against Blackburn when Pulis plainly hoped to stick the defender in the shop window.

Hiley was under no illusions during Pulis's reign: "I was on my way out of the club."

But surprisingly, Hiley bore no grudges against Pulis, who was at least straight with him.

"To be honest I haven't got any problems with Tony, he was very fair with me. He told me from the outset that I wasn't in his plans.

"There wasn't any bitterness between us in that respect. He made his feelings very, very clear and I respect him for that."

Hiley is hoping the appointment of Claridge will provide the sort of opening he was looking for from Pulis's appointment.

"When a new manager comes in you can get a fresh start and I thought that was going to be the case when Tony came in but it didn't work out that way.

"It was a tough move for me to come here from Southampton in the first place, but I've said all along that all I want to do is play football," says Hiley who became Alan Ball's last signing when he joined Pompey from Saints in December 1999.

"All I ever asked for is a chance to play, I never really got it and I was very frustrated.

"I'm delighted that Steve is taking over, hopefully he'll give me a chance to play football which is what I've come to this club to do.

"He's spoken to us collectively but not individually and I would think he really wants to tell us what's expected of us and put across how he wants us to play.

"I think he and we know we have got some really good players at this club and it's a chance for us to express what good players we are."

Hiley trained with the circle of first-team regulars in Claridge's first training session in preparation for tomorrow's home game with Sheffield Wednesday.