Blackpool fans given the news they've all been waiting for as head coach Neil Critchley signs new long-term deal

The club’s highly successful head coach has put pen to paper on a fresh four-and-a-half year deal that will keep him at Bloomfield Road until June 2026.

His current contract was due to expire at the end of the 2022/23 season.

“I am absolutely delighted,” Critchley said.

“It has been an immensely happy time for me at Blackpool. I’ve enjoyed every second of being here.

“I’m thankful to Simon (Sadler) and the club for showing their commitment towards me. Due to the continued support of Simon, Brett (Gerrity) and Ben (Mansford), this has been an easy decision to make.

“I get to work with a great group of staff and a fantastic group of players who are hungry to improve.

“We have already shared some success, however we are ambitious and I feel that we still have further development to come.

“With the support of our incredible fans, I’m hopeful that we can share some more happy times together in the future.”

In what is his first job in senior management, Critchley has enjoyed huge success with the Seasiders after taking over in March 2020.

The former Liverpool academy coach guided the club to promotion from League One in his first full season and his side currently sit just one point off the play-offs.

Critchley’s success will inevitably admire glances from clubs higher up the food chain, why is why Blackpool’s owner is so glad to tie his man down for the long term.

“Shortly after buying the club, I realised that coaching and player development was going to be critical to our future success and on first meeting Critch in early 2020, I was impressed with how enthusiastic, passionate and knowledgeable he was about the game of football,” Sadler said.

“Importantly though, the board and I suspected that Neil was also primed to step up to first team management.

“Since working with him I have found him to not only be an outstanding head coach but also to be the consummate football professional who works hard, is humble and is a man of great integrity.

“What continues to impress me though is that he not only gets what we are trying to achieve at Blackpool Football Club but that he really gets what this club and town are all about.

“There is nobody else out there that I would rather partner with to take this great club of ours forward and I relish watching Crich earn full legendary status over the coming seasons.”

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