FOLLOWING the appointment of Paul Hartley, assistant manager Michael Nelson has left Hartlepool United.

Nelson’s departure brings an end to six months in the dugout at Pools after he was brought into the club alongside manager Graeme Lee in December last year.

Alongside Lee, the pair helped the club to League Two safety, reached the fourth round of the FA Cup and the semi-final of the Papa John’s Trophy. However, it wasn’t enough to keep him in his job after the club parted company with just one game to go.

Lee’s sacking as left question marks over Nelson’s future and he took first team affairs for the last game of the League Two season alongside Anthony Sweeney. Pools lost 2-0 against Colchester United.

However, Gordon Young’s arrival from Cove Rangers as Hartley’s assistant has effectively led to Nelson’s departure. Young comes into the club have held roles as academy manager of Sheffield United along with being assistant manager of the Latvian national team.

The club made the announcement on Tuesday morning as they said: "Hartlepool United can today confirm the departure of Michael Nelson.

"Nelson made 306 first-team appearances during his playing career, scoring 16 goals, and was instrumental in Pools’ promotion during the 2006/07 season. He re-joined the club as Graeme Lee’s assistant manager in December 2021.

"He leaves with the best wishes of everyone at Hartlepool United."

At the end of last season, Nelson, a former Blyth Spartans manager, was unsure of his own future at the club and that he would wait to hear answers from the Pools hierarchy.

He told the Hartlepool Mail: "Until the phone rings or the chairman gets me in for a meeting and tells me anything different, I’ll be employed by Hartlepool United and I’ll continue to give, as I did as a player, not just at this club but at every club, as I’ve done as a coach not just at this club but at every club, I’ll continue to give everything I can to help the club that employs me to help succeed until I’m told otherwise that won’t change.”