'What I predicted unfolded:' Ex-Blackpool skipper reveals the factors that made him leave following Wembley win

The 33-year-old was with the Seasiders between 2015 and 2017, during which time he suffered back-to-back relegations with the club and played in front of minimal home crowds due to the fans’ protest against the Oyston ownership.

Aldred, who has most recently played for Brisbane Roar, captained Blackpool in the 2-1 League Two play-off final victory over Exeter City, but was forced off early through injury in what proved to be his final outing for the Fylde Coast outfit.

"It was sad that we didn’t take more fans to Wembley because realistically we should’ve had 30,000, but it was their way of sharing their opinions to the owner so I can understand where they were coming from,” he said.

“To lead the side out is something I’ll take with me forever- it was a massive honour, not many Blackpool captains can say they’ve done that. I was injured in the semis, and knew I wouldn’t last in the final- it’d been a long season, but falling at that hurdle was tough.

“Gary Bowyer did a really good job that year at giving us that siege mentality, knowing we wouldn’t have 15,000 fans in Bloomfield and the support we should’ve had.

“Going into the final we knew we’d be outnumbered by Exeter fans, which shouldn’t happen ever- no disrespect to them, but we knew we had enough to get the job done, and the fans that were there were very good.

"We beat Luton in the semi-finals. I looked at our squad that year and we had five or six very good players. One of the reasons I left is because I knew the club would not keep that group together and keep hold of their assets. I was only asking for small things and they never got done, which was the main reason I went to Bury, and what I predicted unfolded.

"I look at the Luton side we faced, and they kept their team together and have gone on to do amazing things.

"Leaving Blackpool wasn’t something that really appealed to me because I loved the club and all my teammates. I didn’t want to desperately do it, but Bury were signing a lot of big names and ticked a lot of boxes.

"I look back at my time and it frustrates me that I went through that period when the club was in that stage of its life. I feel like I achieved a lot in my time there, but it was frustrating not to have the fan base that should’ve been there. I’m very proud and happy to have played the amount of games I did, it’s a great football club and I wish them all the best in the future.

“I’ve met some fans in Australia in the various stadiums, and given some shirts away to them. I’ve got a huge respect for the club, and I’m proud of the amount of games I played for them.”

The full interview and be listened to as a podcast on Dailymotion, Spotify and Apple.