David Dunn will remain with Blackpool in a coaching capacity following his spell in charge of the club as caretaker manager, as reported by the Blackpool Gazette.

The Tangerines confirmed the appointment of former Liverpool U23 boss Neil Critchley as Head Coach on Monday after Dunn had steadied the ship from the Simon Grayson era. Grayson was the reason that Dunn had joined the club on a permanent basis after the former Sunderland manager requested that Dunn be a part of his backroom staff.

Dunn had won two, drawn one and lost one in his four games which included a win over early season title favourites Ipswich Town. The former Blackburn Rovers midfielder never expressed his interest in taking the job on full-time but is relishing a chance of working amongst Critchley’s backroom staff.

Blackpool Chief Executive Ben Mansford sang the praises of Dunn, who had only been instilled as a member of the club’s coaching staff just over a month before Grayson’s sacking, he told The Blackpool Gazette: “I’ve been really impressed with how David has stepped in, in what were really difficult circumstances. He was only brought to the football club on the 4th of January, so he’s only been here a matter of weeks.

“When the person that brought him to the club was relieved of his duties, David was asked to step up and he did that. I think he’s done it very well and from the last four games I think he could feasibly have had 12 points.”

Dunn led the side to their first back-to-back home wins since November which shows the coaching credentials of the former pro. Blackpool sit in 13th place in Sky Bet League One with no real danger of them slipping back into England’s fourth tier. A victory in Critchley’s first game in charge in the ‘Fylde Coast’ derby could go a long way to confirming their survival.

The Verdict

With the resources and the types of situations Dunn has had to deal with in his short spell with Blackpool, this looks like a good move for all parties. He is already a known figure to the club’s supporters and would have won many hearts after back-to-back late wins over Bolton and Ipswich. In an industry where faces are constantly changing, it will be good for the players to have Dunn as part of the staff. They will know what he expects of them every time they cross the white line.

But in terms for Dunn this is a great move for his coaching career. He gets to work alongside a manager who has helped nurture some of Liverpool’s biggest talents as they get exposed to the top level that football has to offer.