AFC Fylde to replace assistant manager Kenny McKenna

His departure is set to leave nobody in charge of the club's football side temporarily, with Bentley facing a heart bypass operation which is expected to sideline him for a while.

McKenna has been Bentley's second-in-command throughout his managerial career, which began at Morecambe in 2011. The Liverpudlian pair moved to Mill Farm last October.

Fylde chairman David Haythornthwaite says the search for a new number two is designed to freshen up the management structure - action he believes should have been taken during Dave Challinor's eight years at the helm.

Speaking in A video interview for the club website, owner Haythornthwaite explained: "Maybe it's time for a change and sometimes it's good to have a new number two. It can get stale.

"I very much felt that with Dave Challinor. With all respect to Colin Woodthorpe (who assisted Challinor throughout his time at Fylde), I felt that Dave should have changed earlier. It keeps you fresh. If you look at Old Trafford, Ferguson always changed his right-hand guy every couple of years and he did it for a reason to keep himself fresh, keep the players fresh, keep everybody on their toes.

"We had a chat about it and felt that was right for the club, so Kenny will be departing. It's always sad in football when you have to let people go. It's a tough business.

"But anyone who knows Kenny knows he is a real character, with a wicked sense of humour and a razor-sharp brain. You'll never get one over on him. I hope we have as amicable a parting as you can have in a divorce.

"We wish Kenny the best and thank him for the work he has done in the brief time he was here. It's sad if he's leaving with a relegation on his CV that certainly wasn't his fault. He was a hard-working guy."

McKenna, who turned 60 last week, had managerial experience with TNS, Cammell Laird and Altrincham before linking up with Bentley nine years ago.