Neil Critchley finally breaks his silence following surprise move from Blackpool to Aston Villa

Pool’s former head coach surprised everyone at Bloomfield Road at the start of June when he opted to become Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Villa Park.

Until now, Critchley had remained silent - fuelling anger among many Blackpool fans who felt they deserved an explanation.

But in a sit-down interview with Villa’s TV channel, Critchley finally addressed his departure and how it came about.

“It was (very quick),” he said.

“I was actually on holiday at the time. It happened really fast, it was unexpected and it never really gave me a chance to say ‘thank you’ to Blackpool, which is really important to me.

“The opportunity they gave me, from the owner Simon Sadler to Ben Mansford and Brett Gerrity, I had a fantastic time there and I had incredible support from the players and the supporters.

“It was a really big decision, but the chance to work with Steven and the staff and the opportunity to come to the Premier League and work for a club like Aston Villa I felt was the right thing to do.”

One of the main points of confusion for Blackpool fans was Critchley’s decision to ‘step down’, as you were, from a number one position to become Gerrard’s assistant.

But Critchley, who guided the Seasiders to promotion from League One during his first full season in charge, says he doesn’t see it that way.

“Whether I’m a number one or a number two, I don’t see it like that. I just see it being part of a management team,” he said.

“I was part of a management team at Blackpool, but it just so happened I was the number one. But previous to that in my previous roles, as long as you have the respect and the trust of the people around you, you feel valued and you’ve got a sense of belonging, then that doesn’t matter to me.

“I know I will be in a similar position here, so it wasn’t a problem for me.”

The chance to work with Gerrard for a second time in his career was also a main pulling point for Critchley - especially in the Premier League.

He added: “I worked with Steven previously for about 18 months at Liverpool and with the type of person he is and the type of football he wants to play, it’s obviously a big draw.

“But also the staff he’s got with him and the previous working relationships I had with them, it makes it a little bit easier making those decisions.

“But the facilities here, the players here and the ambition of the club, it was a big incentive for me.”

Critchley added: “Everyone has made me feel very welcome.

“It’s been a bit hectic, a bit of a whirlwind. I keep getting lost around the training ground still, but I’m settling in really well.

“I obviously know some of the staff here really well from previous years and I’ve been made to feel very welcome here, so I feel comfortable being here and I’ve really enjoyed the first few days getting to know the players and staff.”