“It needs a fresh face and one of them needs to be the manager”: Jim Bentley on his Morecambe spell and an alternative career

Bentley returned to the club at the start of February, with Ashvir Singh Johal having departed after five wins in 28 National League matches left them firmly in the bottom four.

Despite 10 points from five games in February and March, one win in seven meant defeat at Woking earlier this month dropped the Shrimps into National League North.

“I was leaning towards 18 games (in charge) from the start,” said Bentley, who will move into a behind-the-scenes role over the summer.

“I had the energy for three months. Some of it excites me if I took the job next season but the club needs a reset.

“There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, so it needs a fresh face and one of them needs to be the manager.

“That was the line in my own head, especially with them saying they potentially wanted me to move into another role.

“I’ve been a manager here for eight years and had jobs elsewhere, it’s a time to let someone else come in who may – or may not – know the club.”

Following Morecambe’s relegation, it was claimed that Bentley had been doing exams in order to become a taxi driver.

In response, Bentley lifted the lid on what he had been up to.

“I’d actually done it!” he admitted.

“I’d converted my car into a private hire taxi and I’d just started doing it one day before I got the call from the club.

“It might sound a strange thing to do but I like the idea of coming and going as I please.

“My wife works for herself and I quite liked the idea of working for myself, switching it around rather than it being the other way.

“I’m 50 in June and I thought ‘I need a rest so that’s what I’ll do, I can come and go as I like.’

“It suited me down to the ground, though I had to do a five-day course and there’s a lot of things to do to become a private hire driver – like converting your car and all that – but then I got the call to come back.”