Blackpool boss has his say on the current struggles of player that splits opinion

The wing-back, who signed a new deal at Bloomfield Road until 2026 back in December, has struggled to find his best form in the last couple of months, and has been competing for his place against Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel. He first arrived on the Fylde Coast for an undisclosed fee from Mansfield Town in 2020, and has gone on to make 133 appearances in Tangerine- scoring 13 times and providing 21 assists.

Critchley still has plenty of faith in what Hamilton can bring to the team as they look to push for a spot in the play-offs this season, and sees his skillset as a real asset to the Seasiders.

"Over the course of the season you have periods where you’re not at your best all of the time,” he said following the 2-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town on Saturday afternoon.

"CJ has played a lot of minutes this season, so you’ve got to bring him out of the team and dip him back in. Certain games are really suited to him; sometimes not others.

"What you know is, like all of the players, he gives his all. He’s still a massive threat- people change their formation or play a certain way to stop him, and that’s because of the attributes he’s got.”

Blackpool are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they welcome top of the table Portsmouth to Bloomfield Road.