Keith Southern: I'll regret it if I don't give management a try

The 38-year-old is an academy coach at Everton, where he started his 19-year playing career.

The former midfielder, who made over 300 appearances in a decade with the Seasiders and ended his playing days with a season at Fleetwood Town, is enjoying the Everton role he has held since December 2017.

But Southern concedes he does want to try his hand as a number one at first-team level, joining his former Blackpool team-mates Ian Evatt and Gary Taylor-Fletcher in taking the plunge.

“I love my role at Everton. It’s a fantastic football club with some amazing people,” Southern told The Gazette.

“I’m learning every day with top coaches, learning new things all the time and trying to become that student of the game by taking everything in.

“I’m getting a fantastic grounding working with elite players and I’m in no hurry to leave Everton whatsoever.

“But I do have an ambition to manage at some point.

“That may come in the next six months, in the next six years or after that, I don’t know. I’m perfectly happy as I am right now but I do want to manage.

“If I turn 55 or 60 and I’ve not taken that step and had a go, then I think I will regret it, so at some point I do want to manage.

“Obviously the timing has to be right, although I’m not sure it ever is in management.

“The club has to be right at that time, so there are a lot of variables to take into consideration but I do have a burning desire to manage.”