Neil Critchley
Personal information
Full name Neil Critchley[1]
Date of birth (1978-10-18) 18 October 1978 (age 45)
Place of birth Crewe, England
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Blackpool (head coach)
Youth career
1989– Crewe Alexandra
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000 Crewe Alexandra 1 (0)
2000–2001 Leigh RMI 3 (0)
Total 4 (0)
Managerial career
2013–2017 Liverpool U18
2017–2020 Liverpool U23
2020–2022 Blackpool
2022–2023 Queens Park Rangers
2023– Blackpool
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Neil Critchley (born 18 October 1978) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League First Division for Crewe Alexandra. He is currently the head coach of EFL League One club Blackpool.

He has previously managed Liverpool under-18s (standing in for Jürgen Klopp for two of Liverpool's cup fixtures in the 2019–2020 season), and guided Blackpool to promotion, via the playoffs, from League One to the Championship in 2020–21, his first full season in charge of the club. After a short stint as assistant head coach to Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa in 2022, he was appointed head coach of Queens Park Rangers. After signing a three-year contract, he was sacked after two months, having won one game from his first twelve. He returned to Blackpool in May 2023.

As of 2020, he was one of sixteen coaches worldwide to have obtained UEFA's elite badge.[2]

Playing career

Crewe Alexandra

Critchley, aged 10, joined Crewe in 1989. The club was then managed by Dario Gradi who had recently started a player development scheme that became the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. Gradi noticed Critchley's ability, even at the age of 17, to coach younger players and encouraged him to become more fully involved.[3]

Critchley's only playing appearance for Crewe came in a 3–0 defeat away at Fulham during the 1999–2000 season.

Leigh RMI

He signed for Leigh RMI in 2000, and made three league appearances as substitute for the club.

Coaching and managerial career

Critchley retired as a player aged 24 and became a coach at Crewe, working under Gradi and Steve Holland,[4] and being appointed joint Academy director in 2007, before joining Liverpool as under-18s coach in 2013.[5]

Liverpool

Due to fixture congestion of Liverpool's first team during the 2019–20 season, Critchley served as their stand-in manager for their EFL Cup away match against Aston Villa on 17 December 2019.[6] The congestion was caused by Liverpool's participation in the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, which overlapped with the EFL Cup quarter-finals.[7][8][9] Liverpool, fielding a team made up exclusively of under-23s, were beaten 5–0.[10][11] Critchley again served as Liverpool's stand-in manager for the FA Cup fourth round replay against Shrewsbury Town on 4 February 2020, as the first team were on a mid-season break.[12] The youthful Liverpool team won 1–0 via an own goal.[13]

Blackpool

On 2 March 2020, Critchley was appointed as head coach of Blackpool on a three-and-a-half-year contract.[14] After a curtailed regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Blackpool finished in 13th position after standings were amended to reflect a points-per-game ratio.[15]

In Critchley's first full season in charge, 2020–21, Blackpool finished third at the conclusion of the regular season, going on to win promotion via the EFL League One play-offs.[16]

On 19 November 2021, Critchley signed a four-year extension to his contract, keeping him at Bloomfield Road until 2026.[17] The following week, Critchley was named Manager of the Season at the annual North West Football Awards, beating Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, Blackpool's former captain and now Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt, and Morecambe manager Derek Adams.[18]

Aston Villa (assistant)

On 2 June 2022, Critchley departed Blackpool after accepting the role of assistant head coach to Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa.[19] He had told Blackpool's owner Simon Sadler that he was keen to work again with Gerrard and "pit himself against some of the best coaches in the world".[20]

On 21 October 2022, Critchley departed Aston Villa, following the sacking of Gerrard the day prior.[21]

Queens Park Rangers

On 11 December 2022, Critchley was appointed head coach of Championship club Queens Park Rangers on a three-and-a-half year deal.[22] His first match in charge was a single-goal victory over Preston North End.

On 19 February 2023, Critchley was relieved of his duties as head coach of Queen's Park Rangers, with the victory over Preston North End being the team's sole victory during his time in charge.[23]

Return to Blackpool

On 23 May 2023, Critchley returned to his former club Blackpool, on a four-year deal, following their relegation to League One.[24]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 12 March 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Liverpool (stand-in) England 17 December 2019 4 February 2020 2 1 0 1 050.00
Blackpool England 2 March 2020 2 June 2022 109 45 30 34 041.28
Queens Park Rangers England 11 December 2022 19 February 2023 12 1 5 6 008.33
Blackpool England 23 May 2023 present 51 25 11 15 049.02
Total 174 72 46 56 041.38

Honours

Blackpool

Personal life

Critchley is married to Janine.[26]

References

  1. ^ "Neil Critchley". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Liverpool lose Neil Critchley as U23s boss joins League One club" - Liverpool Echo, 2 March 2020
  3. ^ Burley, Julian (20 August 2020). "Who Are The League One Managers? No.3: Neil Critchley (Blackpool)". Vital Football - Lincoln. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. ^ Morse, Peter (17 December 2019). "Liverpool have a 'top class coach' in charge against Aston Villa tonight, according to the man who knows him best". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  5. ^ Pearce, James (12 October 2013). "New Liverpool FC under-18s coach has brief to get home-grown talent ready for the first team". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Q&A: Neil Critchley's pre-Carabao Cup quarter-final press conference". Liverpool. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  7. ^ "Klopp explains Club World Cup and Carabao Cup squad selections". Liverpool. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Aston Villa v Liverpool: Carabao Cup Quarter-Final tie confirmed". EFL.com. English Football League. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  9. ^ "LFC statement on Carabao Cup tie with Aston Villa". Liverpool. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  10. ^ "'A great opportunity' – Neil Critchley on Carabao Cup quarter-final". Liverpool. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Aston Villa 5–0 Liverpool: Dean Smith's side overwhelm young Liverpool side". BBC Sport. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  12. ^ "Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool's first team will miss FA Cup replay v Shrewsbury". BBC Sport. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  13. ^ Johnston, Neil (4 February 2020). "Liverpool 1–0 Shrewsbury: Own goal by Ro-Shaun Williams sends young Reds through". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  14. ^ "Neil Critchley Appointed New Head Coach" - Blackpool F.C., 2 March 2020
  15. ^ "League One & League Two clubs vote to end seasons early" - BBC Sport, 9 May 2020
  16. ^ Blackpool 1–0 Bristol Rovers – BBC Sport, 9 May 2021
  17. ^ "Neil Critchley Signs New Long-Term Contract" – Blackpool F.C., 19 November 2021
  18. ^ "Blackpool boss Neil Critchley beats Man City's Pep Guardiola to manager of the season award" – Blackpool Gazette, 23 November 2021
  19. ^ "Aston Villa announce Neil Critchley appointment". Aston Villa Football Club. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  20. ^ James, Alex (17 June 2022). "Sadler's message to fans in response to Appleton appointment negativity". LancsLive. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  21. ^ "Board Update". Aston Villa Football Club. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Neil Critchley named QPR head coach". www.qpr.co.uk. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  23. ^ "QPR sack Neil Critchley after 12 games as manager". www.theguardian.com/uk. 19 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  24. ^ "Neil Critchley Returns As Head Coach". www.blackpoolfc.co.uk. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  25. ^ Blackpool 2–1 Lincoln City 1 – BBC Sport, 30 May 2021
  26. ^ "Neil Critchley: The Blackpool manager giving fans their club back" – The Daily Telegraph, 16 April 2021

External links

Blackpool F.C. – current squad
Current EFL League One managers
Managerial positions
Categories