Blackpool caretaker boss David Dunn has learned from his former role at Oldham Athletic

He takes charge of his first game today at Bristol Rovers, having taken on the job on an interim basis following the sacking of Simon Grayson.

It will be Dunn’s first managerial experience since departing Boundary Park in 2016, when the former Blackburn Rovers player took the job on a permanent basis after initially replacing Darren Kelly as player-manager.

But Dunn’s tenure lasted just three months, the former England international winning just three of his 20 games in charge to leave Oldham in 22nd place in the League One table.

Dunn, who admits the experience came far too soon, believes it will act as a useful learning curve for what’s to come at Blackpool.

“I think it will stand me in good stead,” he told The Gazette.

“I was nowhere near ready bearing in mind I had only just finished playing.

“Going from being a player-manager, when I was a player among the lads in the dressing room to suddenly being given the role of manager, I found it difficult.

“I’m always pretty honest with myself when it comes to evaluating my own performances and it’s fair to say I felt ready at the time, but looking back I wasn’t.

“Since then, I’ve coached an Under-23 team at Blackburn for three or four years so I’ve got a decent experience there.

“I’ve relished the opportunity of coming back in as first-team coach under Simon (Grayson), so I’m enjoying being back out on the grass.

“I feel that’s what I’m good at, so hopefully we can crack on and get a positive result at Bristol Rovers on Saturday.”

Dunn, who said he has no interest in taking the manager’s job permanently, only arrived a month ago.

He was brought in as first-team coach by Grayson, only for his boss to lose his job following Tuesday night’s 3-2 defeat at home to Gillingham.

While Dunn accepts it’s a results-based business and it’s the manager who always gets the blame, the former Premier League man said perhaps the players need to take a look at themselves as well.

“There were 12 ins and 12 outs in January, so a lot of the players in the dressing room have been brought in by the manager,” he said.

“Naturally they feel, I’d imagine, a little bit of responsibility and maybe some of them might feel they have let him down, I don’t know.

“But we’ve certainly got to move forward now and get the positive result that everyone is craving.”