Former Hartlepool United manager Kevin Phillips tells ex-England boss Sam Allardyce he was "surprised" by Pools exit

The ex-Sunderland, Southampton and West Brom striker left Pools a week after the end of the season following just three months in the job.

Phillips took over with Pools in a precarious position, lacking form, confidence and structure, but masterminded an instant turnaround, winning four of his first five games.

However, Pools were looking over their shoulder again following a poor run of five matches without a win, including a humiliating 7-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Gateshead.

Phillips galvanised his squad, who beat in-form Halifax less than 72 hours after their heaviest defeat in almost three decades, finishing this season on 60 points, which the former South Shields manager branded as "totally unrealistic" at the time he took over.

In the end, Pools opted not to renew his contract, instead appointing the more experienced Darren Sarll at the end of April.

And Phillips told the William Hill podcast, helmed by former England manager Sam Allardyce and presenter Natalie Pike, that he was both shocked and disappointed by the decision.

"I was surprised," he said.

"It was a bit of a strange one if I'm being honest.

"I've been in football a long time and nothing surprises me in football, but I have to say, this surprised me. I didn't see it coming.

"I went in in January, I was delighted to get the job. I went through a thorough process, three interviews, and got the job.

"I went in at a difficult time, so I knew the job I had to do.

"The criteria and the conditions were that I had to hit a certain amount of points, improve the squad we had, try and add to the squad, and we did all that.

"We reached the 60-point mark, which I had to, which when I went in there looked totally unrealistic. We went in and we got the job done.

"Two weeks before the season finished I had a meeting with the owner and he informed me that he would like to reward me and offer me a new two-year deal, which I was delighted with. I could see the project and I could see us moving forward.

"Then, two weeks later, I got another phone call to tell me that they'd decided to go a different way.

"It's disappointing, but it's football."