STEVE Wilkes has confirmed he will step down as Northwich Victoria manager at the end of the season.

Wilkes will take charge of Vics for the last time when they visit Burscough in their final game of the North West Counties League Premier Division on Saturday.

Vics have finished the season and a sixth consecutive victory will consolidate a top-five finish.

However, they now have the added motivation of ensuring Wilkes leaves on a high having been in post since September 2017.

Perhaps the high point of his time at the club was leading them to the brink of a Wembley appearance in 2019, only to fall on penalties against Chertsey Town in the semi-finals of the FA Vase.

In a statement released on social media, Wilkes says he feels he is unable to take the club onto the next level and that the travel commitments involved with the job were taking their toll.

"This has been the hardest decision I have made in football, but I don’t feel I can take the football club to the next level, which is ultimately promotion," he said.

"As most people know, I live over 90 minutes away from every home game and the late nights and early starts at work are beginning to take their toll.

"I have not been approached by another club or have another job lined up.

"I have loved every minute of being manager of Northwich Victoria and to be the longest-serving manager of such a historic non-league club, which has had much bigger names than myself as manager, is something I will always be proud of."

Read Wilkes’ statement in full below