Tranmere boss Micky Mellon has confirmed that Craig Dootson has joined the club as goalkeeper coach on a temporary basis.
The 46-year-old arrived following Eric Nixon’s surprise departure from Prenton Park after the Crewe game last week, but it’s understood the club are keeping their options open when it comes to a long-term successor.
Dootson is known to Mellon from his time at Fleetwood where Dootson played 10 games in 2010. He was in the same squad as the likes of Scott Davies and Steve McNulty. Most recently he spent three-and-a-half years as goalkeeper coach at Salford City before leaving them in June of this year.
Before going in to coaching, Dootson enjoyed a long playing career which was predominantly in non-league football. After coming through the ranks at Preston North End in the late 90s, he represented no fewer than 13 clubs before retiring from playing in his early 40s.
It’s unclear how long he will be around the club, but an interesting footnote may be that of Danny Coyne and his uncertain future at Shrewsbury. Coyne has been in caretaker charge of the Shrews for the last two weeks and has done well, however, it’s understood he has no interest in taking the job long-term.
Whoever the new man is at Shrewsbury, if Coyne is not kept on as part of the coaching set-up, would there be the possibility of him returning to Prenton Park?
Coyne was goalkeeper coach for Micky Mellon at Shrewsbury before Mellon left to join Tranmere, while the former Wales stopper also spent two spells at Tranmere as a player, making nearly 200 appearances.
