Neil Critchley 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.
