Hartlepool United appoint former Sunderland and Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark as head coach | OneFootball

Hartlepool United have appointed former Sunderland and Newcastle United midfielder Lee Clark as first-team head coach, unveiling the 53-year-old on Thursday morning.

The National League club parted company with Nicky Featherstone at the end of the season, and were recently taken over by American real estate developer Landon Smith.

Clark joined Rotherham United in mid-March and endured a short, difficult spell to close the 2025/26 campaign, winning one of nine matches as the Millers were relegated from League One.

Speaking to club media, Clark said he was proud to lead a club with a strong identity and passionate supporters, and that conversations with Chris Maxwell and the chairman showed a clear ambition he wanted to be part of. He stressed building a side that works hard, competes with intensity and upholds high standards.

Born in Wallsend, he came through at Newcastle United and made almost 200 senior appearances before moving to Sunderland in 1997. He later joined Fulham, then returned to Newcastle, retiring in 2006.

His managerial career has taken him from a long spell at Huddersfield Town to Birmingham City, Blackpool, Kilmarnock and Bury. He led Blyth Spartans in 2019, then had two stints at Al-Merrikh in Sudan, either side of a brief time with Al-Ittihad in Oman.

Source: Sunderland Echo