Former Carlisle United assistant manager Gavin Skelton is back in football.

The Cumbrian has joined National League club Hartlepool United as first-team coach.

Skelton, 43, has linked up with the north east club as part of a new look backroom team under veteran manager Lennie Lawrence, who has taken the reins until the end of the season. 

It sees Skelton return to the game just over two months after he left Carlisle at the time of manager Paul Simpson’s exit.

Lawrence, 76, has moved to bring in Skelton after being appointed manager following a caretaker spell, which came after Darren Sarll's sacking by the Monkey Hangers.

Former Grimsby Town boss Anthony Limbrick had also joined Pools as head coach.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Hartlepool board said: "We were keen to see the trajectory and senior stewardship under Lennie continue, and with Anthony and Gavin we have also secured two outstanding pro licence technical coaches who are highly regarded within the game.

"We believe their complementary attributes and desire to step up in due course will fit well with Lennie, to give the club both the best opportunity in the immediate short term this season whilst also planning for the long term."

Lawrence added: "We now have a lot of depth within our coaching staff and each member holds different qualities which we’ll be able to lean on during the course of the season."

Skelton was assistant manager to a series of bosses at Carlisle including Simpson, Keith Millen, Chris Beech and Steven Pressley. The former Workington Reds and Queen of the South manager had previously coached in the Blues' academy, and he also served as caretaker manager on more than one occasion.

He left United in late August along with Simpson and fellow coaches Billy Barr and Jake Simpson.

Skelton's first game with 15th-placed Hartlepool comes against National League leaders York City on Saturday.