Mark Maguire reveals how Richard Money trumped Premier League candidates to land Hartlepool United job

Money was confirmed as the successor to Matthew Bates on Tuesday and will lead his side for the first time at Leamington in the FA Trophy tomorrow.

And while Pools claim Money was the outstanding candidate, chief executive Maguire has confirmed that he fought off some intense competition from some highly-qualified and experienced candidates.

The likes of Neil Redfearn, Paul Ince and Lee Clark - all of whom were thought to be interested in role - boast considerable experience as both players and managers at the highest level.

And while there were some surprising names in the frame, Maguire was confident that Money was his man

That was in part thanks to an interview which ‘blew everyone’s socks off’.

“You’d be amazed to see some of the names that submitted their applications,” he said.

“People with experience of the Premier League all the way down through the divisions, and people who had plenty of promotions on their CVs.

“But what we needed to find was a balance of somebody who demonstrated their ability to do it in this division and understand it - and the level above.”

And while Money certainly fitted that description - given his success with both Luton and Cambridge at National League level - that experience proved to be just one the factors that attracted Pools to the 63-year-old.

In two impressive - and highly convincing interviews - Money transformed himself into the desired candidate as he sold himself to Maguire, owner Raj Singh and director of football Craig Hignett with a ‘no-nonsense’ approach to the task at hand.

That, coupled with a thorough understanding of the club’s current playing squad and situation, proved to be an attracting combination for the Pools board.

“I think it was a no-nonsense recognition of the job in hand,” admitted Maguire, when asked what attracted the club to Money.

“His achievements in this league speak for themselves.

“His understanding of our players, his understanding of the mentality that might be in place at the club at the moment in terms of the coming to terms with being in the National League - despite considering ourselves an EFL club.

“That’s a reality we all have to face.

“We’ve got to earn the right to get out of the division and it was that no-nonsense approach to that which felt like it was really what the club needed at this point in time.

“It was a very convincing interview and we feel like we’ve made the right decision.”

Pools suggested early on that they would be keen on a younger manager, and so it is a testament to Money that he convinced the board to appoint someone with his experience.

Maguire, however, was always keen to test his thinking by interviewing more experienced candidates.

And such a policy appears to have paid off, with Money certainly proving persuasive during his initial interview with Maguire and Hignett and then a follow-up with Singh.

Money ticked every box and - as glowing references flooded in - Maguire became more and more convinced that he was the correct appointment from the wealth of applicants.

“With due respect to all of the other candidates, we started the process with a completely open mind and to see what applications came through,” he added.

“When we began to shortlist we thought it was important to have a balance between young managers and more experienced managers to balance our thinking.

“Obviously there has a been a lot of talk historically about trying to grow young managers, but it was important to challenge that thinking and that’s certainly what Richard did.

“Really, from the moment he sat down in the interview room he blew everyone’s socks off.

“When we spoke to him subsequently, he showed a knowledge of the players and he certainly displayed a knowledge of the league and how you need to approach it.

“He seemed to tick every box, and the more we spoke and the more we did our diligence on the work he’s done previously, the better it got.”