Postcard from ... Morecambe

Sammy McIlroy would be entitled to have ideas above his station. As a Manchester United player, he spent 12 years at Old Trafford and lifted the FA Cup in 1977, while, in the green shirt of Northern Ireland, he played in the World Cup finals in 1982 and 1986.

So why is he managing Morecambe in Coca-Cola League Two and why does he describe last season’s promotion from the Conference as one of the proudest achievements of his career?

“I’m 53 and I don’t want to dwell on the past,” McIlroy said. “At Man United, I was taught how to play the game properly and I still have a soft spot for them, but at this level you’ve got to do the ugly things as well — you have to be resilient and your players have to be made of steel.”

Morecambe had never played in the Football League until McIlroy arrived at Christie Park in November 2005. The former Northern Ireland manager had led Macclesfield Town into the Football League in 1997, but few Morecambe supporters expected him to repeat the trick so quickly.

“I knew the Conference inside out when I got the job and I didn’t really need to make major changes when I got here,” McIlroy said. “We needed one or two new players and the attitude of my squad so far has been fantastic.”

His players sealed promotion in May, with a 2-1 victory over Exeter City in the Conference play-offs final at Wembley and they have had no problems acclimatising to life in League Two. This season, McIlroy has watched his team beat Championship sides Preston North End and Wolverhampton Wanderers away in the Carling Cup and he is quietly confident that they can stay up.

“We are still finding our feet and coming to terms with the step up in class, but we’ve done quite well,” McIlroy said, before watching his side lose 1-0 at home to Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday.

“My players know how to apply themselves and they are committed. We have a good blend of youth and experience, and a few of my players could play at a higher level, but I’m not taking anything for granted.”

KAVEH SOLHEKOL