Ian Holloway addresses speculation linking him with spectacular Blackpool return

The 60-year-old was recently linked with a surprise return to Bloomfield Road, but The Gazette understands he’s not under consideration.

Holloway has now revealed he was keen to help out back in January following Michael Appleton’s sacking, but the club opted to appoint Mick McCarthy instead.

“I have put my name in for recent jobs in different places and unfortunately I haven’t got any of them, but it is what it is,” he said.

“They didn’t call me when they called Mick. I probably would have done it then.

“You have to be wanted in my opinion. You look at Neil Warnock going back in at Huddersfield, he was wanted by them and he helped them. Roy Hodgson went back in at Crystal Palace and he was wanted by them. It’s a real honour for those gentlemen to be chosen and asked.

“That hasn’t happened and I don’t see it happening, so onwards and upwards for whoever gets the job.”

Holloway has instead leant his backing to Dobbie, who took charge of Blackpool’s last six games as caretaker boss and won three, but ultimately it proved too little, too late to stave off relegation.

Holloway added: “That next generation needs to put their mark on the game and to me he did well enough to get the job full-time. Whether he gets it or not you don’t know, do you?

“But it wouldn’t be a bad choice at all in my opinion.”

Holloway is keen to get back into management and almost made his return back in February, when he held talks with Motherwell.

But the SPL outfit opted to go with Stuart Kettlewell, who won both of his games in caretaker charge.

“I had an interview and then the interim manager won two games in a row when they hadn’t won for six months, so it wasn’t meant to be,” Holloway said.

“It’s something I’ve done all of my life though. I’m still only 60 and you look at the other ones, they’ve got 14 or 15 years on me.

“I believe I would be even better than I was before with the experience you gain.”