MARK VENUS wants to take over the managerial reins at Hartlepool United and save his hometown club from relegation.

Sources close to Venus have indicated that he is saddened by the club’s position at the foot of League Two and would be excited by the challenge of keeping Pools in the Football League.

Hartlepool are searching for a new manager following Colin Cooper’s decision to quit in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Carlisle United.

Former Middlesbrough midfielder Graham Kavanagh, sacked by the Cumbrians last month, has discussed the possibility of taking over at Victoria Park on a short-term basis.

But Venus, who served as Tony Mowbray’s No 2 for almost a decade, is keen to take his first step in to frontline management after dipping in briefly as caretaker manager almost a year ago.

Venus holds all of the required coaching qualifications, including the highly-coveted UEFA Pro Licence, and would love the opportunity to return to the club where his football career started in 1985.

After making his league debut for Pools, he went on to play for Leicester, Wolves and Ipswich Town, where he played in the Premier League and in Europe under George Burley.

It was during his time at Portman Road that he talked football tactics with Mowbray on a regular basis and the pair successfully led Hibernian in to Europe. They also guided West Brom to promotion to the Premier League as champions before moving on to Celtic and then Middlesbrough.

The 47-year-old was on a shortlist to replace Mowbray last October when his brief caretaker spell started with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Doncaster at the Riverside Stadium. In the end, though, Boro chairman Steve Gibson decided to go foreign for a replacement and appointed Aitor Karanka.

Venus, who was brought up in Seaton Carew, faces competition for the job and Sam Collins is ready to take on the challenge for however long he is entrusted with the task.

With Pools travelling to Exeter tomorrow for Saturday’s League Two game, they head south without a manager and the scheduled pre-match press conference has been cancelled.

Centre-back Collins took charge for Tuesday’s JPT game with Sheffield United and, while the game ended in a 2-1 defeat, Pools gave a much brighter performance than of late.

Venus and Kavanagh took in Tuesday’s game, with the latter having already spoken with the club over a short-term appointment.

The improvement engineered by Collins on Tuesday offered some encouragement and, while the permanent position may have come too soon for the centre-half, it’s a job he is ready to take on if asked.

“We’ll have to see what happens. Results could dictate the situation,’’ he said. “What you will get, for however long I am in charge, is lads who will give 100 per cent. I can accept them making mistakes and losing but what I cannot accept is players not giving everything that they have got. Every player on that pitch gave everything.’’

Pools’ winger Jack Compton – who was Cooper’s first signing as Pools boss – will be out of action for at least three months. The winger has suffered a knee problem and needs surgery, which he will undergo today.