Salford City's owners are seeking a third manager in less than a season after Gary Bowyer left to return to his post with Derby County U23s.

Bowyer was temporarily appointed boss until the end of the season in March after Richie Wellens was sacked.

Bowyer was hoping to guide the Manchester club into the play-offs but they fell two points short despite a 3-0 home win over Leyton Orient on the final day of the campaign.

He said in a statement: "The agreement was until the end of the season and unfortunately it's the end of the season, so I'll be with Derby's under-23s on Monday night at Manchester United.

“It's a mixture of emotions, it's like getting one of those fake lottery tickets. You can't say 'it was down to that game', it was over the course of the season and unfortunately, we've just fallen short.

“I think we've lost three games since we've been here, and all three were 1-0, so that shows you how tight the games were and how hard they've pushed."

Co-owner Gary Neville will be tasked with leading the managerial hunt.

Salford are owned by a host of Manchester United legends including Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and David Beckham.

The League Two side will be hoping for more managerial stability in the dugout after having three managers throughout the course of last season.