HARTLEPOOL UNITED are willing to pay to get their next manager if they feel they have to for the right man.

After Matthew Bates was sacked on Wednesday following a run of six successive defeats, Pools are seeking their seventh permanent boss in little over four years.

The club has already had plenty of hopefuls expressing an interest, but Craig Hignett revealed the possibility of enticing someone away from a club is not out of the question.

Pools have always appointed an out of work manager in recent years, but with the need to get the right man in place with the club only mid-table in the National League, they would be willing to get someone out of their current employment if necessary, while admitting there is scope for new players to arrive too.

Hignett, the club’s director of football, will take temporary charge and oversee tomorrow’s home game with Dagenham.

He said: “It was unexpected, so it’s not something we knew would happen on Wednesday, maybe we have been caught on the hop a bit and we start from scratch. But CVs have been in every five – ten minutes and now we have to sift through the good ones and bad ones.

“I’m hoping it gets sorted quickly, but it needs to be right for the club – one week, two weeks but I don’t want a prolonged spell in charge.

“We won’t rule anything out, the best man for the job and it depends on the candidates really.

“We can bring players in, that’s a fact and we prefer our own players but things are up in the air a little bit as a man coming in will have his own targets and ideas and we want to crack on with him when he comes in, but there is room for manoeuvre.’’

While Tuesday’s home defeat to Fylde was watched by the club’s lowest home crowd for a league game in 20 years, Hignett admitted that plenty of other factors were taken into account in replacing Bates.

“It’s so disappointing, we all wanted to be a success. I’ve known him a lot of years and it’s gutting to come to this. I’m sure he is feeling just the same because he put so much into it,’’ he admitted.

“Football can be cruel at times and we made a decision we feel is right.

“I think there’s a number of things to consider, managers get judged on different stuff and results are only a small part.

“You’ve got things like – are the team improving, have they got a style of play, are the players improving, are the young players improving, so all of those things are what you judge a manager on and the results come on the back of it.

“And then we make a decision and the chairman has the final say and he made the decision.’’

Bates helped secure Pools’ position in the division after taking over a club in freefall on and off the pitch last season.

Since then, the club’s takeover has brought stability off the pitch and now Pools and Hignett are seeking the same off it.

“We had a lot to deal with as a club, all the previous mismanagement which went on and he earned the chance for be a manager because of what he did last year – we should always be thankful for it,’’ reflected Hignett, who was sacked as Pools boss in January 2017.

“We have had some highs this season, recent results hadn’t helped but there more to it. He’s been here a few years, knows it well and I am gutted it’s not worked out.

“The chairman spoke to him and I’m sure he will be devastated. He took to the role and wanted to be a success.

“It was a decision out of the blue a bit. We didn’t envisage it happening.’’

He added: “The (low) crowd on Tuesday was not a factor. It was a concern, but not a factor. Liam Noble incident was the same, nothing to do with it. Purely a football decision.

“I don’t want the job – it’s temporary believe me. I was brought to the club to protect the club and the chairman’s interest. I can spend his money as manager, but I’ll not waste it in this role.

“This gives us time to make the right choice as manager.’’