COLIN Cooper is expected to be named Hartlepool United manager.

The Middlesbrough under-18 coach is the club's choice to replace John Hughes, who was sacked last week.

Cooper is understood, following their game with Newcastle on Saturday, to have informed his young prospects at Boro that he was moving on and wouldn't be around at Rockliffe Park to lead them next season.

He was as short of 2/7 with the bookmakers for the post last night and an announcement is expected at Victoria Park shortly.

Cooper has long held an ambition to manage at first-team level after working as assistant boss at Boro under Gareth Southgate.

He left in May 2011, and joined the staff at Bradford City, but left after manager Peter Jackson was sacked and returned to work at Boro's academy.

Cooper applied for the job at Darlington following Mark Cooper's exit in Novemebr 2011, but Quakers didn't make an appointment while they remained in financial difficulties.

Graham Kavanagh, the current Carlisle coach, was considered by the Pools' hierarchy, while Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper has also registered his interest, but they appear to have instead plumped to give Cooper an opportunity to try and get Pools out of League Two at the first attempt next season following relegation this season.

After Micky Barron followed Hughes out of the Victoria Park exit last week, Pools are also on the lookout for a first-team coach.

Their former midfielder Paul Murray, who left the club in January and signed for Oldham, has been mentioned as a possibility, while Cooper could also consider asking Mark Tinkler to join him.

He was a popular midfielder at Victoria Park during his playing days, making 245 appearances from 2001 to 2007.

Tinkler is currently working alongside Cooper at Boro's academy.

While Pools have a normal recruitment structure they stick to when it comes to appointing a new manager, they are moving quickly this time

The retained list was made public last Tuesday, but the future of a number of players remains in the air.