Former Blackpool, QPR and Hearts boss lands Premier League role
Blackpool promotion-winning coach Neil Critchley has landed a new job in the Premier League.
Former Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley has taken on a new role with Ipswich Town.
The Tractor Boys have confirmed ex-Wolves and Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil as their new manager, following the recent departure of long-serving figure Kieran McKenna.
Ipswich will once again be competing in the Premier League, after finishing second in the Championship last term.
O’Neil makes the move to Portman Road following a stint in Ligue 1 with RC Strasbourg, where former Seasiders boss Critchley acted as his assistant.
Along with fellow Les Bleu et Blanc coach Ed Ames, the 47-year-old will be making the move to Suffolk to form part of the Blues’ backroom staff.
Critchley’s time with Blackpool
Critchley had two contrasting stints on the Fylde Coast having initially joined the club in 2020 after a number of years working in Liverpool’s academy.
In his first full season at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool won promotion to the Championship - beating Lincoln City 2-1 in the League One play-off final at Wembley.
Following a strong campaign in the second tier, the 47-year-old parted ways with the Seasiders ahead of the 2022/23 campaign in order to take up a role under Steve Gerrard at Aston Villa.
With his time with the Lions not lasting long, Critchley soon found himself back in the hot seat, but a stint in charge of QPR didn’t prove to be long-term either.
He returned to Blackpool in the summer of 2022, but was unable to replicate the same success, and was ultimately sacked at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, with many fans unable to forgive his initial exit.
A spell with Hearts followed a similar pattern, which prompted some time out of the game before returning as a number two earlier this year.