Stockport County manager Dave Challinor has left the club by mutual consent after almost five years in charge. He led the Hatters from the National League to England's third tier, but they missed out on promotion to the Championship this season with defeat by Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final. Challinor, 50, returned to Edgeley Park as manager in November 2021 and won 144 of his 268 games in the dugout. Alongside his two promotions with the club, he previously went up a division five more times - once at Colwyn Bay in his first campaign as a manager, three times with Fylde and once with Hartlepool. A Stockport statement said Challinor had 'helped transform the trajectory of the football club', 'overseen one of the most successful eras in the club's modern history' and created 'numerous memorable moments that will live forever'. Challinor told the club website, 'the time felt right' to step away, adding: 'What a journey it's been. An amazing five years that have gone as I would have hoped, and probably beyond what I expected. Five seasons is a long time in football management at any level, and deciding to step away from the club at this moment has been incredibly tough, especially on the back of the play-off final outcome. My family and I have put everything into County and it has become our lives over this period, but the timing feels right.' Chief executive officer Simon Wilson is also leaving Edgeley Park after six years while long-serving keeper Ben Hinchliffe departs after 10 years. Challinor added: 'It feels a little like the end of an era (with) the club entering a new phase with new people coming in. For me, it feels like the right time for all parties to look at what comes next, while leaving immensely proud of everything we've achieved together.' Challinor - who was the English Football League's fifth longest-serving manager - has been linked with the vacant Blackburn Rovers job, but said he planned to spend some time away with his family. In a message to fans, Challinor, who had signed a new long-term deal only last year, added: 'Your backing has been incredible and I'm sure that will continue. From game one, when 5,000 of you travelled to Bolton, to game 268 and 15,000 at Wembley for the third time in four years, your support never wavered. Annoyingly, we couldn't reward that with a win, but that moment will come. I hope we can all reflect positively on the experiences and emotions we've shared together over these years, mostly good, with a few painful moments along the way. I'll be back at Edgeley Park as a watcher and a supporter, and hopefully I'll get the opportunity to say thank you and goodbye properly in person.'