Dave Challinor snubs Gary Neville for Blackburn Rovers job | OneFootball

Former Stockport boss Dave Challinor is set for a switch to Blackburn Rovers, despite Salford City making a late dash for him

Dave Challinor has been one of the most sought-after managers since he departed Stockport County, following their League One play-off final defeat against Bolton Wanderers.

The 50-year-old was expected to be snapped up immediately, even though he indicated that he was going to take a break over the summer, following a hugely successful five-year stint at Edgeley Park.

Challinor has been largely credited for the rise of the Hatters from the National League to the cusp of League One. In his five seasons with the club, he never finished lower than fourth over a league campaign.

Therefore, the natural progression was for him to join a Championship club as and when he was ready to take another job. Still, there was a late play by League Two side Salford City to try and coax him down the pyramid to oversee a promotion there.

Dave Challinor to manage Blackburn Rovers, despite Salford City interest

Salford are also searching for a new manager after losing a play-off final, after Karl Robinson was dismissed following their comprehensive defeat against Notts County at Wembley.

Robinson had led the Ammies to their highest league finish in their history last season, and a win on the final day away at Crawley Town would have secured automatic promotion.

That wasn't to be, and a disappointing showing at Wembley convinced the ownership group, led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, to part ways with the former MK Dons and Oxford United boss.

Understandably, many felt that they had someone big lined up, as Robinson is arguably a level above League Two management, anyway. According to the Sun, that big first choice was Challinor.

However, the former Stockport boss is instead joining another north-west club in Blackburn Rovers, allowing him to make the gradual step-up into the Championship, where many feel he deserves to manage after his rise up the pyramid from non-league to the third tier.

In Challinor's 15 full seasons in management, he has yet to finish below a play-off place, two of which came in League Two, so it was clear that, if the Ammies could persuade him to head down the pyramid, they'd be in for their best chance to finally break into the third tier in what will be their eighth EFL campaign.

That was always going to be a tough ask, though, and you can't begrudge the 50-year-old from taking the Blackburn job instead this summer.

Blackburn Rovers have hit the jackpot after Dave Challinor update

With Challinor's impressive record across every team he has managed, he could finally provide some stability to what has been a rather volatile Ewood Park recently and manage a return to being a club capable of challenging for a play-off place.

The last four seasons at Blackburn have seen them alternate between finishing seventh and being in a relegation battle, and while promotion will always be the aim pre-season, in reality, Rovers fans likely would accept next season being just one that doesn't end in nearly falling out of the Championship altogether.

It's almost universally agreed that Challinor is a Championship manager in the making, and after a year or so of uncertainty surrounding Valerien Ismael's capabilities and then Michael O'Neill's future following an interim stint, hiring someone like the former Stockport boss could see Blackburn settled in the dugout for a few years now.

Additionally, this second-tier job will be more of a challenge for the 50-year-old than the Salford one would have been, which indicates that Challinor is ready to test himself and push on further as a manager, which can only bring about good results for the side he's landing with.

So, with a 15-year record that he may not want to lose, perhaps Blackburn could be securing a play-off place this season. But at worst, there'll be less of a worry surrounding a relegation battle at Ewood Park with Challinor in place.