| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Neil Critchley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 18 October 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Crewe, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| 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 | ||
| 2023–2024 | 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 was most recently 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, but was sacked the following August.
As of 2020[update], he was one of sixteen coaches worldwide to have obtained UEFA's elite badge.[2]