Steven Croft looks ahead to the new cricket season with Lancashire.

Lancashire coach Steven Croft believes networking with people from other sports has proven beneficial in improving his own coaching methods - with Blackpool being among the clubs he’s visited.

The 41-year-old, who represented the Red Rose’s first-team as a player for just under two decades, was handed the head coach role at Old Trafford during the off-season, after serving as interim during the second half of the 2025 campaign.

Croft’s appointment came a couple of days after Ian Evatt’s return at Bloomfield Road, with the retired all-rounder admitting that he had held some conversations with the Seasiders boss - who enjoyed success on the Fylde Coast during his playing days.

“(I’ve spoken to him) a little bit, yeah, and a little bit with Scott Parker at Burnley as well,” he said.

“We had a couple of visits into Burnley, which was great from a staff and players’ perspective to see a little bit of the environment and to mix things up a little bit.

“It's obviously a common theme of a group of lads who are similar to us, who want success, so I think there's a lot of things that do cross over.

“We didn't get to kick a football around at Blackpool, maybe next winter, but it's great to pick brains from different sports and different areas, and I think we're all learning. It definitely helps.”

Croft admits he’s enjoyed having a full winter to work with the Lancashire squad after first being put into place as an interim last May.

“I had some excuses last year - it wasn’t really my side,” he stated.

“It’s been nice to have that time to implement what I want. We’ve got a lot right at this club in the last two decades, while I’ve been around, but there’s still things I’m trying to drip feed into the lads.

“I didn’t want to throw too much on them too soon and we had that time over the winter to drip feed it in, and we’re confident as a group from where we’re at from where we’ve come from nine months ago.

“We want to get promoted and we want to win a white ball trophy, but those little stepping stones have been put in place from last year.

“We want success, and I’m sure if we get the little things right and work on the process, I’m sure we’ll be successful when it comes to the crunch time.”

Croft shares Blackpool wish

Croft’s cricketing journey started down at Stanley Park with Blackpool, with returns with Lancashire always proving successful.

The Red Rose chief admits he’s looking forward to coaching at his home ground, but has no imminent intentions of playing for his club side again soon.

“It’s not the plan at the minute, I need a new knee,” he noted.

“I’ve wanted to hopefully get one more game in before I don’t ever play again. My dad’s still a member there, so it’d be nice to play where it all started, really.

“It’s a place that’s close to my heart. It was nice to have success there as a player and as a club. It would be as a coach. I think that’s what cricket’s about, getting out into the community.

“It was definitely my first taste of watching county cricketers, down at Blackpool. I think when you go there and to the likes of Liverpool and Southport, it does broaden the horizon a little bit and gives more people an opportunity to watch the game.

“We do seem to have success there, and if it’s less travel for me, I’m all for it.”