“I WOULDN’T change anything, and there’s no relief that we’re out of the competition, either.”

Gary Megson showed little contrition as Wanderers bowed out of their second UEFA Cup adventure after a two-legged tie against Sporting Lisbon, insistent the weekend’s trip to Wigan Athletic should take precedence.

“We’re not exactly the Dog and Duck” the straight-talking Whites boss had insisted on the way to Portugal.

Sure, there was no Kevin Davies, Nicolas Anelka, El-Hadji Diouf or Kevin Nolan, who had booked the last 16 spot with a historic two-legged win over Atletico Madrid in the previous round but the team which ran out at the Estadio Jose Alvalade still had enough about it to make the game a closely-fought affair.

Wanderers needed a goal after drawing the home leg 1-1 but could not find one. Bruno Pereirinha provided the killer blow for the home side, and the rest is history.

As broken-hearted as Bolton fans were on their way back to the UK, their anger only intensified when three days later, Megson’s gamble proved to be entirely unwarranted.

With a full strength team, Emile Heskey – a future Bolton striker – netted the winning goal for Wigan at the JJB Stadium, as it was then known, ensuring an unpopular decision took on legendary status.

The UEFA Cup final, which would be played in Manchester of all places, ended up being played between Zenit St Petersburg and Rangers. A decade on, Bolton’s fans are still left wondering what might have been.

Megson said in an interview in 2012 he had been instructed by former chairman Phil Gartside to “get out of Europe” – although his claims were vehemently denied at the time.

"I took Bolton further in Europe than they've ever been," he said. "Yet I was told by the chairman to get out of Europe because they don't make any money in it and it was having an impact on the league position, and it was absolutely imperative to stay in the Premiership.

"Bearing in mind that was the worst start that's ever been seen in the Premiership and still is, it was a huge ask to stay up, notwithstanding the fact we were in Europe.

"We took the reserves to Bayern Munich and got a draw there. Most people get beaten, and there's a lot of British teams since then that can't get a result there.

"We went to Red Star Belgrade, were the first team ever to have won there in over 100 years, managed to get through and we knocked out Atletico Madrid over two legs.

"I do think that, if it hadn't had been as tenuous in the Premiership, we could have got even further against Sporting Lisbon.”

"But we just had to make sure that the club stayed up, by hook or by crook, we managed to do that, and yet you're still viewed as you were viewed."

Wanderers survived relegation in the end, winning three of their last five games of the season. The decision to play a weakened team in Lisbon continues to stick in the craw for supporters, however, and particularly those who travelled on the night.

What do you think? Had a decade dulled your anger on Megson’s decision?