Terry McPhillips: I'd love to keep Blackpool job

But with the uncertainty surrounding the club likely to continue until a new owner is installed, there are no guarantees that McPhillips will still be in charge at Bloomfield Road next season.

He is on a 12-month rolling contract but insists he wants to continue and is already putting plans in place for next season.

“I’ve loved it,” McPhillips said of his first season at the helm following Saturday’s final game against Gillingham, which Pool lost 3-0. “It wasn’t the best day for all my family and friends to come. I think I had 39 watching.

“But I’ve loved it and the players have been great. I have to give a big thank you to the staff. They work so hard and they’re a credit.

“I’d love to be the person that helps the club move on, be the man responsible for signing some new faces and players. I’ve got plenty in mind who can help us.

“I want us to really push on and make a real push for the play-offs next season.”

Given the off-the-field uncertainty and Gary Bowyer’s surprise resignation one game into the season, the Seasiders will be delighted with their campaign.

McPhillips’ men beat last season’s League One points tally and finished two places higher.

But there was still a sense of disappointment among the squad and a feeling of what might have been as they drifted out of play-off contention at the back end of the season.

Asked for his reflections on the season, McPhillips provided a guarded response.

He said: “The answer is I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.The players will be off for the summer but the staff won’t be – we’ll still be working away for the next couple of weeks.

“It will give us some time to reflect and review, and hopefully plan for the future.

“I said to the lads that obviously it wasn’t good enough against Gillingham. They knew that themselves but I’m really proud of them as a group for their efforts over the season.

“I might have got one or two things wrong– whether it be formation or us getting better with Nick Anderton playing at right-back second half and Marc Bola on the left.

“I will hold my hand up to some of that but as a group we’ve been through thick and thin this season, and we’ve had lots of up and downs.

“It’s been a rollercoaster but we are at Blackpool!

“All in all, I’m proud of the lads because they’re a great group and we’ll go again next season. We’ll hopefully add a few and be competitive.”