poor run of form. He took charge at Swindon Town in June 2017, before changing clubs to manage divisional rivals Mansfield Town in March 2018. He was sacked in May 2019 after the club were beaten in the League Two play-off semi-finals. Keith Hill named him as his assistant at Bolton Wanderers in August 2019, though the pair were not retained beyond the 2019–20 season. He was appointed director of football at Port Vale in February 2021. Playing career Preston North End Born in Bolton, Lancashire, Flitcroft spent time as a child with Manchester City before he began an apprenticeship with Preston North End at the age of 14. He signed professional forms with the club in May 1992. He made his debut the following season at Deepdale under caretaker-manager Sam Allardyce. He was to spend the season briefly involved in the first-team, but instead had a brief loan spell with Lincoln City and then was allowed to join Chester City in December 1993. Chester City Flitcroft made eight appearances as Chester pipped Preston to promotion from the Third Division at the end of the 1993–94 season. He credited the competitive dressing room spirit put together by manager Graham Barrow with getting the club over the line. However the "Seals" lasted just one season in the Second Division and were relegated at the end of the 1994–95 campaign. Flitcroft was a regular in the Chester midfield under manager Kevin Ratcliffe, who took the club to an eighth-place finish in 1995–96. Flitcroft scored six goals in 34 games during the 1996–97 season, as Chester reached play-offs, though lost out to Swansea City at the semi-final stage. He featured 49 times in the 1997–98 campaign, scoring five goals, though the club dropped down to 14th-place. He won the Away Travellers Player of the Year award after he scored six goals in 48 appearances during the 1998–99 season. He left the Deva Stadium when he rejected the club's offer of a new contract and instead joined Rochdale. Rochdale Flitcroft was sent off for a second yellow card in his home league debut at Spotland Stadium, a 2–0 victory over Southend United. He went on to start 40 league games in the 1999–2000 season, featuring 53 times in all competitions as Rochdale posted a tenth-place finish in the Third Division. He featured 44 times in the 2000–01 campaign, picking up 12 yellow cards and