Hartlepool United appoint Lee Clark as new head coach | OneFootball

Hartlepool United have appointed former Sunderland and Newcastle United midfielder Lee Clark as first-team head coach, the club confirmed on Thursday morning.

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

Clark, 53, arrives on Teesside after a short, difficult spell with Rotherham United at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, winning one of nine games as the Millers were relegated from League One.

He expressed pride at taking charge and highlighted Hartlepool’s identity, passionate supporters and close ties to the town. Conversations with Chris Maxwell and the chairman convinced him there is a shared determination to rebuild trust with fans.

His focus is on assembling a side built on energy, honesty and work ethic, one that competes with intensity and plays with purpose. There will be a firm emphasis on high standards and on players demanding the best of themselves and each other.

Born in Wallsend, Clark began his career at Newcastle United and made almost 200 senior appearances before joining Sunderland in 1997. He later moved to Fulham, then returned to Newcastle, retiring in 2006.

His managerial career spans Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City, Blackpool, Kilmarnock and Bury. He took Blyth Spartans in 2019, then managed Al-Merrikh in Sudan either side of a brief stint in Oman with Al-Ittihad, before joining Rotherham in mid-March.

Source: Sunderland Echo