Rochdale fans are preparing to say goodbye to Jim McNulty, who, according to Pete O'Rourke, looks set to be leaving the club to take charge at Stockport County.

The empty champagne bottles and confetti have only just been cleaned up after the celebrations of Rochdale being promoted to the EFL and already we've been dealt a huge blow as it looks like Jim McNulty is headed to one of his former clubs, League One playoff finalists Stockport County.

Pete O'Rourke is usually spot on with his information, to the point where if he told me the sky was green, I'd probably believe him.

While managerial changes are always part of football, few will deny that McNulty’s tenure at Spotland has been a journey full of ups, downs, and ultimately, historic highs. He's overseen the lowest moment in the clubs history, and the best moment, which believe it or not is still less than a month ago.

When McNulty first arrived, opinions were divided. He wasn’t universally regarded as the best choice to steer the club through turbulent times. Chances are, he was possibly the only choice given the state of the club off the field following our relegation to the National League. But McNulty, built his squad, sometimes with one or both hands tied behind his back and won over the skeptics, of which I was definitely one.

Under his stewardship, and with the support of the Ogden family takeover, Rochdale stabilized off the pitch and began to thrive on it. He delivered the club’s first-ever trophy at Wembley—a monumental achievement that will live long in the memory of Dale fans. And that followed a league campaign that had us one kick away from winning the National League against York. A season where we achieved an incredible 106 points and broke all sorts of club records.

If he moves on to Stockport County, fans will no doubt wish him well, albeit with a twinge of sadness, but also a huge amount of gratitude. McNulty steered us through some murky waters and leaves having etched his name into club history.

This will be a massive test for the Ogden family and Simon Gauge in finding a replacement for our first season back in League Two.

Nothing has been said as yet about whether Jason Taylor and Matt Done look set to join him.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters