Former AFC Portchester boss Mick Catlin: Moneyfields vacancy ‘something I would be interested in’

And the former Royals boss has not ruled out the possibility of applying for the vacant managerial role at Moneyfields.

Dave Carter left Dover Road earlier this week to become AFC Portchester's new manager - taking up the position Catlin had held at The Crest Finance Stadium up until October.

It would result in a strange turn of events if the pair were to switch the managerial roles they held at the start of the pandemic-wrecked 2020/21 campaign, although Catlin says it's not an impossible development.

But the former Portchester boss, who briefly worked under Carter as a coach at Moneys for parts of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, admitted accepting any role right now would prove difficult given the current 'non-elite' suspension.

The 56-year-old said: ‘It (the Moneyfields role) is something I would be interested in.

'I’m open to any offers, really.

‘I won’t name the clubs because there are people in place but I did speak to a couple of clubs just after I left (Portchester).

‘It just didn’t feel right really in the current circumstances. I didn’t think taking on a new job when you couldn’t meet the players and give yourself half a chance.

‘It wasn’t really something that was beneficial to me or the clubs, really, it was better to stick with what they had in place until they knew football was going to resume.

‘There haven’t been too many jobs out there because, sensibly, most clubs have stuck with their managers and realised how difficult it is at this moment in time to be judged on anything.

'I’m sure my appetite will come back when something becomes available and there’s something to look at, so never say never.'

For the moment, Catlin is enjoying his break from the game the best he can under the current nationwide lockdown restrictions.

Strangely, since his Royals dismissal, the club have only played four games because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Given the stop-start nature of the 'non-elite' season during his time out of work, Catlin says he's not missing football as much as he might have thought.

But having been involved in various roles after beginning his coaching career 26 years ago, he's sure the desire to return will soon be back.

Catlin said: ‘I want to stay in football in some capacity. When you’ve done it as long as I have it’s hard to not want to be involved in something, but it’s got to be right and you’ve got to have half a chance.

,You’ve got to be given the tools to do the job at the end of the day.

'I dare say I’ll miss it when football restarts.

‘After 26 years in a row it’s hard to switch off from it.

‘It’s a good club (Moneyfields) but I don’t know their plans - I haven’t had any contact or anything.’