Blackpool boss Ian Evatt has said his break away from football has been the best thing that could have happened to his career.
The 43-year-old has returned to the club where he spent almost seven years as a player, taking charge of the Seasiders following the departure of previous boss Steve Bruce.
Evatt had been without a club since leaving Bolton in January, having spent four and a half years with Wanderers.
“I went 27 years with with no break, going from playing straight into coaching,” he told BBC Radio Lancashire.
“At the time you don’t feel like you need it but in hindsight it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.
“It’s hard to improve yourself when you’re in a role and it’s 24-7. It takes up all your time and you’re almost in a bubble where you’re just thinking about the next game and the next result.”
Evatt has taken over a Blackpool side which is bottom of the third tier with nine points from 13 matches.
He left Bolton after a poor first half to the 2024-25 League One campaign, having steered them to the play-off final at Wembley the previous season.
“This time and period of reflection has given me that opportunity to understand what did go well. But there’s also stuff that’s gone wrong,” Evatt added.
“It has given me the time to think about how I’ve changed and evolved and how to move forwards and do things a little bit better.”