MATTHEW BATES has been appointed first-team coach at Hartlepool United.

The centre-half will remain registered as a player for Pools’ National League campaign, but he will primarily be part of Craig Harrison’s backroom team.

Bates was appointed as head of a four-man coaching team at the end of last season and is the only one of the quartet still at the club, with physio Ian Gallagher axed and Billy Paynter released, with Stuart Parnaby also understood to have left the club.

Bates will also take charge of the club’s reserve side and will start his UEFA A Licence coaching course.

As the players today returned to pre-season training, they were joined by the club’s new goalkeeping coach Bernard Hirmer, a former Bayern Munich keeper who worked alongside Harrison at TNS in the League of Wales.

Harrison will also be appointing a new assistant manager.

Attacker Rhys Oates has signed a new deal with the club. He was one of three players offered contracts at the end of last season.

Carl Magnay has signed, but Brad Walker has yet to committ his future to the club amid interest from Morecambe.