Craig Harrison, who won six successive Welsh Premier League titles in charge of The New Saints, takes on the Wrexham challenge this afternoon.
The Reds have made the trip from North Wales to County Durham for their Vanarama National League clash with Harrison’s Hartlepool team.
Gateshead-born Harrison, 39, played for Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough before injury ended his professional playing career, while he moved into coaching at Airbus Broughton before taking charge pf TNS.
Former ‘Pools managers Craig Hignett and Dave Jones failed to lift the club, while Harrison is working in difficult circumstances at Victoria Park.
There is a transfer embargo on the club, while Hartlepool need to raise around £200,000 by January 25 to stave off the threat of administration.
A capacity attendance is expected with fans around the area turning out to support the troubled club, who are 17th in the table.
Wrexham are focused on maintaining their promotion push. They are fifth, seven points behind leaders Macclesfield with a game in hand.
It’s been two weeks since Wrexham last played, beating Torquay United 4-0 at the Racecourse.
Manager Dean Keates is working to strengthen his attack again after signing Joe Quigley on loan from Blackpool until the end of this season.
Quigley, 25, had a spell at Newport County and could play alongside Chris Holroyd against Hartlepool. Holroyd scored a hat-trick against Torquay, while Scott Boden is the only other striker at the club.
Quigley earned his move to Blackpool last year after shining under manager Harrison at Welsh club TNS where he won four Premier League titles plus cup winners medals.
He scored 25 goals in 86 league matches for TNS, working closely with Carl Darlington, who is now part of Keates’ coaching team at Wrexham.
“I have always been quite close to Darlo, he had me for probably four years at TNS,” said Quigley.
“I have always kept in contact with him and he is a really nice bloke behind the scenes and a top coach as well.
“When I knew I could link up with him again, it was something I wanted to do.”
The trip to Hartlepool is Wrexham’s first away match of 2018 and they take on a Hartlepool team without a win in their last eight games in all competitions.
Wrexham defender Olly Marx is still out injured, while Scott Boden, Kevin Roberts and James Jennings have all recovered after illness.
