Bruce ‘wasn’t ready to retire’ and still has ‘something to offer’ after joining Blackpool

Blackpool boss Steve Bruce shocked many when he agreed to become head coach, with many assuming he was ready to retire after a long career as a player and manager.

The 63-year-old was appointed manager of the League One club on a two-year deal last week and has not had a role since being sacked by West Bromwich Albion in October 2022.

Bruce spoke about his new role, why he feels he still has something to offer and how he misses being a manager.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m back. I missed it.”

“I wasn’t ready to retire and I still have, I think, something to offer.

“What I miss is the daily pleasure of working with the players and being involved in football.

“It gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning and proved to me that I wasn’t ready for retirement.”

He needed time away from the game after leaving West Brom but says he is very excited to return to management.

“I realised I needed a break. I’ve never really had a proper break in 40 years. How lucky am I to have gone straight from playing to coaching and played 1,000 games? That’s a lot of Saturdays,” he said.

“There was a time when I thought I had done my duty, but the pleasure and love of football brought me back to work.

“At a certain age, you ask yourself, ‘Am I on the bucket list?’ But I hope I have a lot to offer and have a wealth of experience.

“I’m glad I had the opportunity to do it again.”

The former Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Newcastle United manager says he is targeting promotion despite many doubters who are negative about the quality of the club and Bruce’s ability to lead.

“The goal is to move up. We finished eighth last year and missed the boat. So can we do better? Can we get into the top six? We had a difficult start but that’s why I’m here,” he said.

“It will be difficult because there are some big teams in this league, but I would like to think Blackpool will be among them.

“I saw the last two or three games and we could have easily won them all.

“I’ve seen enough of the team to know we can be competitive in this league. We’ve got some good players here and it’s up to me to get the best out of them.”