ADAM Lakeland has resigned as Northwich Victoria’s manager after becoming increasingly frustrated by the club’s off-field struggles.

He said restrictions placed on Vics, who entered administration for a third time little more than a decade earlier this month, have made it impossible for him to continue doing the job.

David Wild, his assistant, has been placed in caretaker charge for Saturday’s game at Stocksbridge Park Steels.

“I feel I am unable to carry out the role in the way I’d wish and therefore see my position as untenable,” said Lakeland in a statement.

“I have given my all every day despite the constant off-field troubles since I arrived in January.

“Despite the difficulties I faced, I have no regrets and have proved to myself that I have the resilience, character and humility to manage even at the most testing of times.”

Lakeland was appointed at the start of the year following the departure of Jim Gannon to Stockport County.

A former first-team coach at Curzon Ashton, he had never previously managed at non-league level.

He inherited a side challenging for the title in the Northern Premier League’s Division One North, and which he guided to a third-placed finish following a nine-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player.

They reached the play-offs final in April, only to miss out on promotion following a 2-0 defeat at Spennymoor.

However he was left to recruit an almost entirely new team in the summer after the club switched to the league’s southern division.

Their success on the pitch during the previous season attracted the attention of higher-ranked rivals, who signed their better players.

The weekly wage bill was also reduced.

Lakeland added: “I’ve served the club with great patience and understanding while playing some entertaining football along the way.

“During my time here I have grown fond of a number of individuals, and the support shown to me by everyone associated with the club has been truly humbling.”

His final game in charge was a 1-1 draw at home to Belper at the weekend.

He leaves with the team placed 17th in the table, although a likely 10-point penalty for entering administration could send them into the bottom two.

“Due to the present constraints on us, Adam Lakeland finds it impossible to continue [as manager] and we have reluctantly accepted his resignation,” read a brief note issued by Dave Thomas, Vics’ general manager.

Martin Rushe, the club’s owner, confirmed last month that his family could no longer support Vics’ financially.

His father Jim, a former chairman, was sentenced to six years in jail earlier this year after being found guilty of conspiring to supply cocaine.

Martin has since appointed Refresh Recovery as administrators after filing papers at the high court in Manchester.

A group of fans, via Northwich Victoria Supporters’ Association, are hoping to take over the club from him.