‘A club close to my heart’ - Moran relishing rare opportunity to manage in NPL

The NPL West Division side recently appointed the 27-year-old on a permanent basis.

But Moran, who featured four times as a player earlier this season, had already been taking charge of the Dabbers on an interim basis after Paul Carden left for National League North side Warrington Town.

A full-time managerial role wasn’t something that was on Moran’s radar at the start of this season, as he himself admits.

But just a few weeks on, the new Nantwich boss says he is now relishing the opportunity.

When asked about whether he was expecting to be offered the chance to be Carden’s successor, Moran told the Northern Premier League: “No, to put it bluntly!

“From the club’s perspective, they wanted a smooth transition and asked if I could tick things over while they dealt with things in the background.

“I didn’t expect to be in a position where it was a long-term vision, but I went into it with that mindset. I took the sessions and continued to take the games, and I got into the position where I thought I could actually do a good job.

“Admittedly, I didn’t think that it would come about like this, and if anyone asked me if I wanted to be manager I’d have said ‘yes, but maybe in five years’.

“In the end, opportunities like these don’t come around often for a 27-year-old. I wanted to seize things with both hands and I feel I’m doing just that.”

Moran’s appointment meant he became Nantwich’s youngest manager for 40 years.

He knew that taking the job so early in his career would leave questions over how he would have been accepted by the squad, some of whom are much older than their new boss.

The Nantwich manager credits his players for how quickly they have adopted his footballing philosophy and preferred style of play, saying: “They showed a willingness to play for me and adapt to how I wanted to do thighs.

“They gave me a respect that they didn’t have to give, as I’m never one to demand respect.

“They believed in me, and ultimately we all want to succeed and are all on the same page with that.”

Moran singled out right-back Kelvin Mellor as a player who has been professional in the way he has welcomed his former team-mate as the club’s new manager.

Mellor, 33, has vast experience playing in the EFL, with over 100 appearances accrued in League One and 270 more in League Two, coming as recently as last season when he featured 23 times for Accrington Stanley.

“I still think I’m a player at heart and I still carry that mindset,” Moran added.

“As a player, would I have massively respected a young manager coming in? I like to think I would, but there’s always an element of them proving that they’re ready to earn that respect.

“Kelvin has been fantastic and he’s shown me the utmost respect. It shows the type of person and character that he is, and the same can be said for the whole squad.”

Ultimately, the Nantwich job means a lot more to Moran than just becoming one of the division’s youngest managers.

The club holds a special place in his heart, and the Dabbers boss admits that he probably wouldn’t have come to any other club when he left Stafford Rangers in 2022.

“I’m extremely proud to be in a position where I am a football manager, but even more so that I’m managing a club like Nantwich," he reflected.

“It’s a club I hold really close to my heart, and it’s a club I want to see succeed. I'll do everything in my power to do that.

“The fans really deserve something to cheer about, and I do think we are working towards that.”

Photo credit: Darren Murphy