Wigan Athletic caretaker manager Rob Kelly has confirmed he wouldn't be interested in taking on the top job on a full-time basis, making his intentions clearer to Wigan Today.

The 57-year-old has enjoyed a reasonably long-lasting career in coaching, taking caretaker charge of the likes of Preston North End, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and Barrow in the past.

He even took the Leicester City job on a permanent basis after making the step up to the head coach role, impressing enough to earn himself the full-time job in April 2006 but being sacked a year later following a winless run.

Having a decent amount of experience under his belt and winning his first game in charge of the Latics, coming from behind to secure a potentially crucial 2-1 victory against Blackpool on Saturday afternoon, some may argue that he should get the chance to shine after the World Cup break.

However, Kelly has made it known that he doesn't want to take the Championship side forward for the long term, saying: "I've managed before and, no, it's not for me. I've done it, twice, and I wouldn't want to go into too much depth about why it's not for me...but it's not."

This news may not come as too much of a blow to Wigan though, with Neil Critchley, Rob Edwards, Duncan Ferguson, Robbie Fowler and Mick McCarthy all reported to be under consideration at this stage.

The Verdict:

At least Kelly has made his intentions clear, allowing Wigan's board to focus on other potential candidates to speak to during the World Cup break.

The interval had probably come at the wrong time for the 57-year-old anyway if he had wanted the job permanently - because this is the ideal time to bring a new man in with Leam Richardson's successor able to have a few clear weeks to put his stamp on the squad.

They should definitely be looking to set their sights high in their quest to remain in the division though, with Neil Critchley probably standing out as their best candidate at this stage.

Overachieving with the Seasiders last term, it may take someone like him to keep the Latics up because they arguably didn't strengthen enough in the summer to give themselves the best chance of remaining afloat in their current division.

Although they have the January window to make a difference, they probably won't have a huge amount to spend so they may need someone like Critchley who has worked wonders within a limited budget in the past.