Next Morecambe Manager Odds: Keith Hill and the other early contenders to succeed Derek Adams

Morecambe will start life in League One for the first time with a new manager at the helm after Derek Adams left the club he led into the division earlier this week.

Unlike most Football League clubs, changing managers isn’t something Morecambe are overly accustomed to, given that the club have only had two bosses in the last decade.

Both appointments were spot on too.

Jim Bentley oversaw the Shrimps for eight years during which he squeezed every ounce out of his players on a shoestring budget. He famously never paid a transfer fee for a player during his tenure as he frequently battled embargos and the threat of administration, while he often had to get help from the local community for places to train, with the club defying the odds to stay in League Two.

Bentley left in 2019 to seek out a new challenge with AFC Fylde, and in came Adams who saved the club from the dreaded drop, only to then remarkably propel his troops into League One in his first full season in charge. 

It was a simply outstanding accomplishment, but unfortunately one that now appears to have attracted interest from Bradford City, who are expected to name Adams as their new boss.

A feeling of deflation is now inevitable following Adams’ sudden exit but the club will hope to attract high-quality names following their brand new third-tier status.

“The club is now solely focused on moving decisively to appoint the right manager to build upon the huge opportunity that promotion creates for both the football club and the town,” revealed Morecambe’s Co-Chairman Rod Taylor.

"That manager will be tasked with delivering the club's ambitious vision and strategy, and conversations have started already."

Fellow Co-Chairman Graham Howse wants to make sure Morecambe find the right name to come in and spearhead the club's League One adventure. "We are absolutely confident that we can recruit the right manager to move the club forwards,” he said. 

“Not only in terms of competing on the pitch, but also in progressing player development and ensuring that every part of the club's football operations are run as effectively and efficiently as possible."

Keith Hill has been installed as the early favourite to become the next Morecambe manager, three weeks after he was sacked by Tranmere Rovers just before the League Two play-offs got underway.

Hill took Tranmere from 13th to 7th last season, although a late dip in form meant that the club dropped out of contention to claim automatic promotion. The inconsistent performances during the run-in combined with that bizarre post-match interview saw Rovers jettison the boss from his post and hand Ian Dawes the job for the play-offs, which ended in defeat to...Morecambe.

Hill, who twice led Rochdale into League One, now finds himself in pole position to make a swift return to management with the Shrimps.

Other out-of-work managers include Phil Parkinson (6/1) and Neal Ardley (12/1).

Parkinson has a tonne of experience at League One level where he led Bolton and Colchester into the Championship. He also took charge of Sunderland in the third-tier and previously led Bradford up from League Two and into a League Cup final.

There are a whole host of names hovering around the 16/1 mark, including Sol Campbell, Sam Ricketts, and Chris Coleman.

Derek McInnes and Alex Neil, also at 16/1, may be a little out of reach whereas former boss Bentley can be backed at 20/1.

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