Blackpool defender hopes to remain at Bloomfield Road

The full-back, who is out of contract this summer, was enjoying regular football on loan at Crewe Alexandra before the shutdown.

As reported in The Gazette last week, Nottingham was anxious to find a new club during the January transfer window, feeling he had been denied a fair crack of the whip at Bloomfield Road under then manager Simon Grayson.

But a chat with Grayson’s successor on the Fylde coast has given the 31-year-old a boost.

He told The Gazette: “He (Critchley) said he had watched me play at Crewe a few times and he’s been very impressed with what I’ve done so far.

“He just wanted to know where I’m at in terms of next season because he knows I’m out of contract at the end of the season.

“He just wanted to know where my head was at in terms of what I want, but the season’s not even done yet so none of us know what’s going to happen yet.”

Critchley is Nottingham’s fourth Seasiders manager since being signed by Gary Bowyer in the summer of 2018.

He made 39 appearances in a successful first season as an EFL player but managed to add only six more games in the first half of this campaign.

He hasn’t played in League One since August but has managed 12 appearances at the level below since joining the Railwaymen.

Nottingham added: “I just want to try and finish the season, do as well as I can because I’m obviously at Crewe until the end of the season. Then we’ll just go from there.

“As long as he (Critchley) wants me to come back then there’s always the chance of that happening, but with the season not being finished yet I just don’t know what’s going to happen.

“I’m just going to try and keep my head down and try and win this league with Crewe as long as the season restarts again.”