Stephen Dobbie on his pride on taking temporary charge at Blackpool, how Brendan Rodgers has helped along the way and what is next for the ex-Seasiders striker

The ex-striker, who won promotion to the Premier League with the Seasiders, was handed the reins for six games at the end of last term, with the club's fate all-but sealed.

The 40-year-old Glaswegian recalled how he'd been overseeing games with the Under 23s with attendances lucky to hit three figures to suddenly standing on the touchline in front of thousands of fans at Bloomfield Road.

Having taken 50 percent of the points on offer from his temporary time in charge, he told MailSport: “It was amazing to be given that opportunity last season at Blackpool.

“I started to coach with the reserves at Queen of the South. On my days off I would take time to learn about the other side of the game.

"So to build that up to the moment I was standing in a dugout in front of 15,000 fans at Bloomfield was pretty special."

He added: “When I got the call I had my own ideas how to approach it. You need to take these challenges head on. I didn’t feel pressure. It was more excitement.

“The Under-23 games can be in front of 50 or 100 folk on a Tuesday afternoon. To then, all of sudden, have 15,000 watching you is a big change. Obviously it didn’t end the way we wanted it to but I still look back with great pride.

“We won three of our six games. And I’m convinced if we had a bit longer it would have been different. It was a reassurance that I can do the job and get to where I want to go."

Dobbie, who also had time with Rangers, Swansea City, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers as a player, admits that he has now caught the managerial bug following his short, yet highly satisfying stint.

The former Tangerines goal-scorer, who helped his side get over the line at Wembley 13 years ago, has since returned to his position as the club's Senior Professional Development Phase Coach with the Development Squad.

However, he confirmed that he had been assessing his options, with a few things on the table, and it was FA Cup winning coach and one-time LMA Manager of the Year Brendan Rodgers who helped him reach a conclusion.

The pair worked together in South Wales in 2011 when Dobbie was on the scoresheet as the Swans beat Reading 4-2 in the Championship play-off final.

“I have aspirations of going as high as I can in management," he said. "I definitely got the bug. And now I want to go as far as I can.

"Under Brendan I was always listening and learning as a player. If I liked a training session I’d jot it down in a scribble. That was just to remind myself that I quite liked it as an attacking player.

“Brendan’s been great with me. I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago when I was looking at different things.

“To have someone like him on the end of a phone is invaluable. He’ll always call me back.

“He’s a brilliant guy and a top coach – probably the main one I learned from as a player. Ian (Holloway) was also fantastic for me too, in terms of how he inspired players. That’s a major thing I took from him.”

Dobbie's ambition has heightened since taking over from Mick McCarthy in the hot seat, but he won't allow anything to distract him from the task at hand since returning to his previous roll.

Instead, he'll be looking at pushing some of the club's youngsters under Neil Critchley's nose for the forthcoming campaign in League One.

He concluded: "I wouldn’t say it’s hard going back to the Under-23s. But when you’re the main guy, trying to get a win, it’s different.

“I’m open to everything now. I’m trying to add another few qualifications to my CV.

“After being relegated there might be more of an opportunity for the younger players to break into Blackpool’s first-team. I want to get one or two through – that’s the challenge for me this year.

“But if and when the right opportunity comes up for me, I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.”