Exclusive: What Lee Hendrie has said on Dave Challinor's Stockport County future | OneFootball

The former Aston Villa midfielder believes Stockport can hang near the top again if Challinor stays

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes that Stockport County can go one better than the play-offs and secure League One promotion next season if they can keep Dave Challinor.

The Stockport boss is approaching his fourth full season in charge at Edgeley Park, and took charge of his 200th Hatters game back in April against Exeter City.

Last season, he was also able to help the side finish yet again inside the play-offs, extending his remarkable managerial record, which stems back to his Northern Premier League days at Colwyn Bay, where he has yet to finish a full league season in management outside a play-off position.

Many thought that teams in the Championship would be sniffing around Stockport for his services this summer, but so far, little traction has been gained in that department.

In an exclusive interview with Football League World, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie feels that this can only be a good thing, as the 49-year-old is so close to becoming a Championship-level manager with his current club anyway.

Lee Hendrie praises "remarkable" Dave Challinor

Almost everybody expected Stockport County to safely avoid relegation in their first season back in League One since the 2009/10 campaign, but not many predicted they would finish five points behind the automatic promotion places.

Lee Hendrie feels that the Hatters should be doing their best to keep Dave Challinor at the helm to be in with a chance of repeating that come next season.

"I know he was really disappointed not to get promoted this season, but I think they'll stick with him. What he's done at the football club and especially this season has been remarkable," he told Football League World.

"I think he's really taken them forward, and I don't think they were a million miles off, as we all know the play-offs are a one/two-off game, and it unfortunately didn't happen."

Hendrie was present for the play-off ties at both Brisbane Road and Edgeley Park for Sky Sports, and he felt that Stockport played excellently, and were unlucky to bow out on penalties in the end to Leyton Orient.

On their play, he said: "It stems back to the manager and what he brings to the side. I know there's disappointment there, but with the journey they've been on, and he's a massive part of that, he deserves another go.

"I think he's the one to take them forward, and I think they'll get promoted this season, or they'll be there or thereabouts," he predicted.

"I think this identity, his style of play and his demeanour. He's done excellently at Stockport, and he deserves that chance again next season."

Retaining core is vital for Stockport County

Stockport County were able to perform above the odds this past season, due in part to the fact that they were able to keep the majority of their team together from their League Two title-winning squad. For them to kick on next season, it will be no different.

The only positions that need replacements will likely be full back, with Brad Hills and Kyle Knoyle both departing at the end of the season, and possibly centre-back and centre-midfield if both Fraser Horsfall and Will Collar fail to agree to new terms.

Other than that, Dave Challinor's budget will be used solely on improving what he already has. If this current set of players were good enough to finish inside the top three last season, then you'd predict that the same squad, plus a few key additions, will once again be battling it out at the top of League One come next May.