Hartlepool United assistant manager Michael Nelson has this advice for Pools' players as he explains his expectations

Nelson is no stranger to the training pitch with Pools having made over 300 appearances for the club during his six year spell between 2003-09.

Nelson formed part of the Pools side who came tantalisingly close to Championship football in 2005 during the League One play-off final with Sheffield Wednesday and harbours many great memories with the club during his playing career.

It was a playing career which saw him go on to have spells at Norwich City, Scunthorpe United, Bradford City, Cambridge United, Barnet and Chesterfield as well as time in Scotland with Kilmarnock and Hibernian.

Each club gave Nelson that little bit of extra experience and knowledge before calling it a day on his playing days and moving into coaching and management roles with the likes of Chesterfield, Stevenage and Barnet.

But just how does Nelson the coach and assistant manager differ from Nelson the hard hitting defender now he has returned to Pools alongside Graeme Lee?

“I’m pretty much the same as when I was a player in terms of what I demand,” he explains to The Mail.

“It’s a short career in football so why not work to 100 per cent of your ability in the short time you’ve got? Don’t waste a day. And that’s what I expect from players I coach.

“You need to be at it from Monday to Saturday to make sure you get in that team and when you get in the team, you need to make sure you stay in there.

“I’m not necessarily a shouter and a baller all of the time, I’ll put my arm around certain players.

“But the one thing we can both guarantee is that we’ve got the best interests of the club at heart.

“Anybody who watched us during our playing careers, not just at Hartlepool but at any club, will always say that we gave 100 per cent.

“We guarantee that’s what we’ll do and what the players under us will do as well.”

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