Log In

Don't have an account? Sign up now

Forgot Password?

Sign Up

Password will be generated and sent to your email address.

Darren Kelly Becomes Hartlepool United's New Sporting Director

Darren Kelly is the new Sporting Director of English League Two club Hartlepool United. The 43-year-old Northern Irishman, a long-time Football Careers client, moves from Pool’s division rivals Newport County to take up his next role.

Darren goes into the challenge with a remit of bridging the current gap between United’s football department and the club’s Board.

Hartlepool have had a troubled season and after the departures of experienced Scot Paul Hartley and former Wimbledon and Manchester City defender Keith Curle, in John Askey they have their third boss of the campaign, with the team lying third bottom of the 24-club division.

Kelly will look to steady the ship as he is tasked with overseeing and supporting the Club and Manager in the areas of football staff appointments, player scouting and recruitment, contract negotiations, loan club relations, medical and sport science, Academy development and facility use.

UEFA Pro Licence holder Darren, who was a boss himself at the likes of Scarborough, Hyde United and Oldham, said:

“It is a pleasure and an honour to be joining Hartlepool United and to help create a future that everyone can be proud of. I am very grateful to our chairman and the club for giving me this great opportunity.

“My plan and vision is to help build a strong footballing strategy for the long-term future and success of Hartlepool United football club and this is something that really excites me.

“I am really looking forward to getting started and working closely with John Askey and the rest of the staff at Hartlepool United.”

Darren’s conversion from player to coach to Sporting Director has been a constant journey of learning. He earned a Master’s in Sports Directorship from the University of Salford in 2020 and has since gone on to add a diploma in International Sports Management to that.

In tough times for his club Hartlepool, owner Raj Singh knows he is landing a rounded and polished football professional who has applied his learning in his work at Newport County over the past two years at the Welsh club. Singh stressed:

“We have been building toward the appointment of a Sporting Director or Director of Football over recent years as we developed things.

“Whilst this season has been very tough and we are certainly not in the position that we wanted to be on-field, I felt it important to continue with progress and plans that we’ve made off-field.

“Ultimately Darren’s role is to guide and support our football department to become better and he will oversee key areas including recruitment. He will also allow our manager and the coaching team to focus on the priority of coaching and developing the team.

“Darren comes with an excellent network of contacts and will undoubtedly be a great addition come the summer and looking beyond.”

Keep up to date with the latest news
from Football Careers

including recent placements, in-depth interviews with our clients, career advice segments, guest columns, and more. Our members can access exclusive content centred around working in the world of football, created by the people who know it best.

    Since utilising my CV I have had interviews at a number of English Premier League and SPFL clubs before accepting a role in the USA. It is definitely a service which I will continue to use.

    Graeme Henderson

    I can’t thank Football Careers enough for the professional CV they created for me: the attention to detail is outstanding and the design is eye-catching. I really appreciate all of the support and guidance their team has given me over the years.

    Robbie Fowler

    The team members at Football Careers are very approachable and they have excellent knowledge of the football industry. I received a highly professional service from them and I now have a detailed, eye-catching CV that any employer would be attracted to.

    Kevin Nicholson

    We couldn’t be more happy with the success of our banner advert. Over a sustained period, the ad has garnered over 2,500 click-throughs which has provided us with a continuous stream of hot leads and sales. I would recommend to anyone looking increase awareness for their business or generate tangible leads for the sale of their products or services.

    John Viola: Director, 451 Football Consultancy

    Football Careers helped me successfully apply for my first full-time coaching job. They provide a fantastic, professional service with a great final product. The team are a pleasure to deal with and I couldn’t be happier with the service provided.

    Luke Chadwick

    Working with Football Careers has opened up new opportunities for me. I am delighted with the quality of their service and the results that I received. The work produced by the team has been consistently excellent and I strongly recommend their services to any ambitious coaches.

    Jose Gomez

    Football Careers worked tirelessly to create a top-quality CV and accompanying philosophy document that perfectly capture my ideas on how to run a football club. They have been a joy to work with from the very beginning and their outstanding final products have already proven to be a very useful career tool.

    Derek Adams

    Football Careers’ membership features have been a great help to me over the years. The job board is fantastic. It’s quick and easy to use, and there is a wide range of jobs available that are based all over the world. Being an Elite Hosted member gives me unlimited access to the job board, so I can apply for as many roles as I like.

    Jordan Tait

    I would highly recommend Football Careers. Following a consultation, I was provided with a new professional CV and LinkedIn profile as well as very useful interview coaching. Given the highly competitive job market in the sports industry, the support they offer is invaluable.

    Barry Horgan

    Football Careers knew every detail about the role I was interested in and gave me comprehensive advice on how to prepare for a successful interview. The team was attentive and took time to answer all my questions. The knowledge they’ve shared with me has helped me secure a new role and it will be invaluable in my future career.

    Selmen Sassi

    I would like to thank Football Careers for their professional preparation of my CV and PowerPoint presentation. Without their input, I wouldn’t have found the recent job opportunities that have come my way. I would highly recommend Football Careers to anyone involved in football.

    Frank Sinclair

    Football Careers puts our job adverts in front of a huge network of football professionals through their job board, email alerts, and social media. The calibre of applicants I have received through Football Careers is second to none.

    Andy Thomson

    I highly recommend becoming a member of Football Careers. You’ll receive the benefits and opportunities you seek in football. The services offer good value for money and above all, give you the access and tools you need to apply for high-level positions globally.

    Niall Connolly

    Become A Member

    Create an account and access a limited number of the latest sports vacancies. Apply for up to five directly from your profile.

    Or, become a full member and gain additional benefits including access to all listings on the Job Board, your own candidate page and access to all news articles and expert career advice for a small monthly fee.

    contact