Five days after standing down as manager and four days into his new role at the club, Richard Money has left Hartlepool United.

After being replaced as boss last week, Money took a new, untitled role which would see him oversee and reshape the club’s football infrastructure.

But that, while expected to last three months as he worked his notice, has been cut short – it is understood at the former manager’s behest – and he is no longer involved with the club.

Pools have this morning relased a statement, confirming his exit. 

It reads: "Following discussions on Monday, Richard made it clear he didn’t want to burden the club with additional cost and offered to cancel his contract. It was therefore mutually agreed that Richard should be released from his contract.''

Money set about his new task last Thursday, and was at the club’s training ground. He sent out a questionnaire to members of staff at the Super 6 Stadium, where he was hoping to find out about their roles and what they felt they could do better and was expecting to use the answers as part of his new remit.

On Friday evening, Money angrily left a fish and chip restaurant in Seaton Carew after a number of Dublin-based Pools fans were present.

He was due to hold a meeting on Saturday morning with Academy chief John Hewitston before taking in the club’s youth team 3-2 defeat to Lincoln City at Blackhall, but failed to attend either.

And he didn’t watch Saturday’s win over Braintree at the Super 6 Stadium and players and staff have since learned of his exit.

Money’s tenure as Pools boss lasted just 44 days, and he stood down last Wednesday following talks with the club’s chairman, directors and Craig Hignett, the director of football who is now first team manager.

Money was expected to see out the three-month notice on his contract after stepping down as manager, but has now opted to cut short his role.

The club’s squad welcomed his departure from first-team affairs and were happy to see Hignett appointed in his place, with a positive outlook engineering their victory.

The new manager is hoping to add to his squad this week and said that one player is expected to leave. That could be Jake Cassidy, with Maidstone hopeful of getting him back on a permanent basis following a loan spell during the first half of the season.