Blackpool take on Scunthorpe United in the first round of the FA Cup this weekend.

Ian Evatt states he’s excited to step into the Bloomfield Road home dugout for the first time as Blackpool head coach.

The 43-year-old takes charge of his first home game on Saturday afternoon, as the Seasiders face Scunthorpe United in the first round of the FA Cup.

During his playing days, Evatt enjoyed two promotions on the Fylde Coast, and will be hoping to replicate that success as a manager.

His first game at the helm ended in a 2-1 victory over Peterborough United at the Weston Homes Stadium, courtesy of a late winner from Scott Banks, which prompted fist pump celebrations from the retired defender at full time.

The new Blackpool boss admits he’s looking forward to being back in a familiar setting this weekend.

“I’m really excited - I got a little feeling for it at the legends game in May,” he said.

“It means the absolute world for me to be back here of course - this is a fantastic stadium with so many fond memories for me. Hopefully we can go on to replicate that.

“I will take a second to take it all in, but my focus is on winning the football match on Saturday. We’re taking it very seriously and we know our responsibility to this club.

“It’s a good relationship (between me and the fans), and it’s my duty to win football matches to make sure it stays that way.

“I was slightly out of my comfort zone with the fist pumping at the end on Saturday, but the players pushed me forward so it felt like the right moment. It felt good to get our first win under our belt and hopefully we can get many more.

‘Fist pumping isn’t really my thing. I let the players do the talking, it’s their moment with the supporters. I’m there to support them.

“Winning football matches is tough. During the week, we draw the outline and the players have to go out there and paint the picture on a Saturday - we did that well (against Peterborough) at times, but there’s times where we need to improve.

“It was a special moment for them, because they do care about this football club. The fans and the players have suffered so far this season, so seeing that was really special.”

Evatt opted to change the Seasiders’ formation for his first game in charge - switching to a wing-back system.

With a full week now under his belt with the players, the 43-year-old is looking forward to seeing further progress, but will rotate in some areas to give others their chance to impress.

“There’s one or two players I need to have a look at, and they’ll probably be given an opportunity on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean the team will be any weaker,” he added.

“I’m excited to see them play, and see what we can do with another week down the line in our development.”

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