Joey Barton believes Brett Pitman's loan move from Bristol Rovers to Eastleigh "works for all parties".
The 34-year-old was made available for transfer by the manager ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday, but moves to non-league are permitted until April and Pitman was confirmed as an Eastleigh player on Thursday evening.
He joins the Spitfires 15th in the National League, 14 points away from both the play-off places and the relegation zone.
"It works for all parties," Barton explained. "It’s a lot closer to Brett’s home, it gets him out playing and that’s how you want to finish your career.
"You don’t want to finish your career, after such a good career like Brett has had, by sitting on the bench and not even making the squad.
"I felt it was key and he was due the respect of finishing his career on his own terms.
"He wants to play and, for me, he wasn’t going to play a lot for us and it was natural that we would help him get an opportunity.
"As it is, it’s dropped in really nicely for him. A club that’s close to his home and he’ll hopefully be able to play and kick on from there."
Pitman scored four goals in 18 games for Rovers since signing a one-year deal as a free agent in July, but he became an increasingly peripheral figure, not ideally suited to the style of play employed by Barton.
The former Portsmouth and Bournemouth striker was told he could leave Rovers after falling down the pecking order following the signing of Ryan Loft from Scunthorpe United and the return of Leon Clarke from injury.
Barton, however, has not ruled out Pitman potentially playing for the Gas again.
The manager confirmed Rovers can recall Pitman should an injury crisis occur at The Quarters over the coming weeks and months.
"It would be bizarre if we use him, but those options are there," Barton said. "For us, that is the benefit of loaning to the National League. You do have the option to recall players.
"As we’ve seen with Jed (Ward) in recent weeks, it’s been great for him to go out on loan and get games, which we need him to do, but we also have to give ourselves security of being able to recall should the situation with our squad require that."
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