Former Hartlepool United promotion-winning manager Dave Challinor has been linked with the vacant Middlesbrough job.
Boro are on the hunt for a new boss following the decision to sack manager Michael Carrick on Wednesday. The former Manchester United star and England international took over at the Riverside in October 2022 - his first permanent job in management - and led his new side to the play-offs in his debut campaign. However, the Boro have since missed out on the top seven in successive seasons, finishing an underwhelming 10th last term.
Challinor has been linked with a number of Championship jobs, including the likes of Sunderland and West Brom, in recent months thanks to his considerable success at Stockport, who he led to third in League One last season. Having made his name at Colwyn Bay, winning promotion from the Northern Premier League Premier Division and lifting the North Wales Coast Cup, and AFC Fylde, leading the Coasters from the Northern Premier League Division One North to the National League and winning the FA Trophy title, Challinor was appointed Pools boss in 2019.
With Pools seemingly languishing in the doldrums and struggling to adapt to life in the National League, Challinor transformed the mood at Victoria Park and assembled a squad full of passion, determination and talent. After finishing fourth in the 2020/21 season, Pools beat Bromley and Stockport in the play-offs before edging past Torquay on penalties in a remarkable final to secure promotion back to the Football League.
Challinor, who led Pools to a memorable promotion back to the Football League in 2021, is one of a number of names being linked to the vacant Middlesbrough job following the sacking of Michael Carrick. Picture by Mark Fletcher.Challinor, who led Pools to a memorable promotion back to the Football League in 2021, is one of a number of names being linked to the vacant Middlesbrough job following the sacking of Michael Carrick. Picture by Mark Fletcher.
Challinor, who led Pools to a memorable promotion back to the Football League in 2021, is one of a number of names being linked to the vacant Middlesbrough job following the sacking of Michael Carrick. Picture by Mark Fletcher.
Pools made a strong start to life back in League Two and were in and around the play-off places when Challinor opted to return to the fifth division to take charge of Stockport, who he captained as a player, in November 2021. At the time, there was frustration among many Pools fans as well as owner Raj Singh at the fact that Challinor had left weeks after signing a new three-year contract. Despite the controversial manner of his departure, he is regarded as one of the club's greatest ever managers.
Challinor took charge of the Hatters with the club in ninth in the National League, 10 points behind the leaders, but engineered an immediate turnaround to lead County to the title after only losing one of his opening 23 games at the helm.
Although Stockport missed out on back-to-back promotions after losing the League Two play-off final to Carlisle on penalties in 2023, the Hatters were promoted as champions the following season. On his first return to Victoria Park, Challinor inflicted a humbling 5-0 defeat on his former side despite controversial programme notes from Singh in which he suggested that new boss Keith Curle was the best manager he'd worked with during his time at the club. Challinor's side have continued to go from strength to strength, although he came under fire last month after criticising Stockport fans for leaving their play-off semi-final penalty shootout defeat to Leyton Orient early.
Having missed out on promotion to the Championship last term, Challinor is now among the front-runners to land the vacant Middlesbrough job, with most bookmakers pricing him at around 20/1. However, he'll face stiff competition from the likes of Rob Edwards, currently the odds-on favourite, Steve Cooper, Gary O'Neill, Danny Rohl, Brian Priske, Tom Cleverley and Sean Dyche.
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