NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn is again being linked with a move away from Rodney Parade and operational chairman Gavin Foxall admits that he expects Flynn to leave the club at some point.
Flynn, who saved his hometown club from relegation in 2017 and has led the Exiles to historic FA Cup runs over the past two campaigns, was reportedly in contention for the Shrewsbury Town and Bristol Rovers jobs earlier this season.
And now he’s amongst the bookies favourites to take over at another struggling League One club.
Flynn is rated as a 12-1 shot to replace David Hopkin at Bradford City – a club where he played 104 games and scored 14 goals in three years before returning to County in 2012.
Speaking before the recent FA Cup clash with Manchester City, Foxall appeared relaxed about the prospect of Flynn leaving the club and he is certain that the man he appointed just under two years ago has the ability to be successful at a higher level.
“I always think that if the manager is attracting interest from elsewhere, that means the club is doing well,” said Foxall.
“You’ve got to be realistic enough to understand that success will attract interest and that’s positive for the club.
“I think the important thing is to get that philosophy in the DNA of the club and if we do that then, if people do move on, we know what we need to do to get that formula working again.
“I always think, in whatever profession you are in, if you’ve got somebody’s who’s doing really well and they come to the attention of others it’s highly likely they will move on at some point.
“But the reason they’re being looked at is because they’re doing a good job, which is good for the club.”
County may be 15th in the League Two table ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Carlisle United, but Foxall is full of praise for Flynn.
“The job he’s done is phenomenal, really,” said the chairman.
“He’s probably one of the best man-managers I know. It doesn’t matter who it is, he’s able to work with people at all levels and he’s just got that way about him.
“He’s passionate about the club and he cares about the players and everything he does.
“That certainly means that he’s got that potential to operate at a higher level.
“Football is funny,” added Foxall. “You look at numerous managers who have moved on and 10 games later they’re out the door again.
“I’ve said to him on a number of occasions that it’s all about making the right choices at the right time.
“That means looking at all the factors. He’s got a young family so he has to look at that.
“But he’s got to have that ambition to manage at a higher level and if he does move on, he will be leaving the club in a better position than when he arrived.”
The new contract that Flynn signed last season, which runs until June 2020, also means the Exiles will be compensated if he decides to leave.
“We’ve got a contract with Michael and we extended that last year,” said the chairman.
“We’ve made all the provisions that we would do with everything else to ensure that, if he was to go anywhere, we’re in a position where we’re secure.”
As part of the South Wales Argus Sports Awards 2019, you can vote for your Newport County AFC player of the year. Make your pick here.
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