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Hartlepool have named ex-England and Middlesbrough defender Colin Cooper as manager following the

Cooper has worked on the Bradford City coaching staff and had been employed as Middlesbrough's under-18 coach before taking up the Pools post.

The 46-year-old will be tasked with leading Pools back to League One after relegation this season.

He has named former Boro midfielder Craig Hignett as his assistant.

Cooper becomes the club's sixth manager in five years, including caretakers.

Pools managers - Last five years Name Duration Games Win % Danny Wilson Jun 2006-Dec 2008 133 43.6% Chris Turner Dec 2008-Aug 2010 81 28.3% Mick Wadsworth Aug 2010-Dec 2011 74 35.1% Neale Cooper Dec 2011-Oct 2012 40 17.5% John Hughes Nov 2012-May 2013 29 27.5%

That turnover of managers, starting with the departure of Danny Wilson in December 2008, has seen a gradual slide from outsiders for the play-offs to relegation.

Chris Turner, Mick Wadsworth, Neale Cooper and most recently Hughes have all attempted to arrest the slump, and Cooper will now undertake the rebuilding process,

"I'm delighted for him and I think he's at a good age," former Middlesbrough boss Bruce Rioch told BBC Tees.

"He's had a good football career with a good pedigree and worked for some good managers at some good clubs.

"He knows the area well and has lots of experience of working at first-team level."

Born in Durham, Cooper came through the ranks to play under Rioch at Boro and made 239 appearances in his first spell before joining Millwall in 1991.

Two successful years in London led to a move to Nottingham Forest, where he earned England recognition before returning to Boro for a final spell as a player.

Time on the Middlesbrough coaching staff after his retirement was followed by a move to Bradford City as assistant to Peter Jackson.

But once former defender Tony Mowbray returned to Teesside as manager,