SHAUN REID'S ready to get back into football management - and the Chester job is the one that he wants.

The former Blues hardman was a fans favourite as a tenacious tackling midfielder during the Kevin Ratcliffe era in the mid-Nineties, playing 62 times in an injury-ravaged four year spell.

After cutting his teeth in management at Warrington Town where he won promotion, league cups and brought in cash from reaching the second round of the FA Cup in 2014, Reid has scouted for the likes of Sunderland, Swindon and most recently at League One title-chasing Wigan Athletic, where his brother, ex-England international Peter, is also involved.

"I am definitely interested in the Chester manager's job," said the 52-year-old Reid, who has applied to take over in The Deva hotseat before.

"They've got my CV and I know I could do a job there.

"I've got contacts so bringing players in would not be a problem and it looks like a similar position to when I took over at Warrington.

"I took my first training session, looked at the players and said they can all go. They weren't good enough.

"The next season we turned it around. We put Warrington on the map with that cup run and at the time I left, we were 15 points clear at the top of the table.

"I just decided the time was right to leave and shook hands with the chairman so I could take a time out."

Reid, who also played for York, Preston, Rochdale and Bury in his playing career, now feels the time is right to return to management.

"What's happened to the club is awful and it needs sorting out," added Reid. "The game of football hasn't changed and it's all about getting a team out a football pitch and a team that can win matches.

"The fans want to see 11 players giving it all they've got every time they go out on that pitch.

"If we can get that right mix of players in the dressing room, get that feelgood factor back among the fans, then it can be turned around.

"I know the fan base isn't as big as Swansea but we played them back in the play-offs under Kevin Ratcliffe.

"Look where they are now and look at Chester. You see teams that totally disappear - like Darlington did - and it could be so easy for Chester to let that happen again. And now you've got to make sure it doesn't."