JULIAN Darby is back in the Wanderers ranks – but you might argue he has never been away!

Even though his day job has sent the highly-rated coach around the Football League to Preston North End, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, it seems you simply cannot take the boy out of Bolton.

Darby is back at Lostock helping out Dave Gardiner with the Under-16s on a temporary basis and also adding his considerable expertise to the blossoming International Football Programme, run by the Whites Hotel.

Wanderers fanatic man and boy, the 49-year-old was brought in by former Burnden team-mate Jimmy Phillips to help out after David Lee and Nicky Spooner moved up the coaching ladder in the summer.

“I think this is the third time I’ve worked here as a coach with the Under-16s and it’s a role I really enjoy,” said the former Wanderer, who made more than 300 appearances for the club in virtually every outfield position.

“It’s an important step in bringing the kids through towards the first team and each time I come back I see one or two players who I think will go all the way.

“The first time I was here Josh Vela was with us, and it’s really rewarding.

“Even though I’ve had jobs elsewhere, I don’t really feel like I have been away. Every spare minute I’ve got I come down to watch the games or the kids down at Lostock. You can’t really say I went anywhere.

“I still live in Bolton even though my last job was in Nottingham. I used to travel down there and back every day because I’d rather live here, I’m afraid.”

Darby linked-up with the IFP on Wednesday to deliver a coaching session to a touring football club from Queensland, Australia.

They are the latest international visitors in what is becoming a profitable side-line for the club, who are able to offer a unique package of hospitality and expert coaching at Lostock, or abroad.

The venture pricked Darby’s interest after reading a story in The Bolton News.

“I read the paper every day and I was looking at an article on the international football school and didn’t really know what it involved,” he said.

“I had a word with the guy who does the admin down at the training ground and said ‘if you need any coaches, I’m twiddling my thumbs a bit. If I can help spread the word of Bolton Wanderers and do something positive for the club then count me in.”

More attuned to sun, sea and sand on the Gold Coast – the squad of 17 Under-15s players were put through their paces by Darby and IFP coach Danny Clark.

“I asked if they’d ever seen snow before and they said ‘no’. It was snowing here last Thursday but I think they lucked out with the weather today,” Darby said.

“They are moving on to Stirling next and it was minus 10 there yesterday, so they are in for a shock. I hope they brought their thermals.”

The first team may have left their old Euxton base behind to amalgamate their training ground with the academy in the summer but Lostock is a far cry from the facilities Darby grew up with at Wanderers.

“I remember going down to Leverhulme Park with a bag of balls and a rack of cones on our back,” he said. “You’d have to go around the pitch and clear it of dog muck before each session.

“We’ve trained in the middle of the dog track and down at Halls Mentholyptus – you couldn’t do any running down there because you’d breathe in the fumes and it would send you doo-lally.

“The facilities here are magnificent. Okay Euxton was from a different drawer but they have made the best of a difficult situation, the manager is getting on with it.

“It has been a bit ‘them and us’ in the past. It’s always good they are in one venue and getting that bit of banter.”

IFP head coach Clark was released by Wanderers as a player at the age of 14 but has since earned his coaching badges and helped the project spread across the globe, working in India, Egypt, Colombia, Italy, the US and Canada to spread the club’s word.

“The IFP is something I’m really proud of,” he said. “We’re making sure Bolton Wanderers are being recognised worldwide, improving footballers and coaches.”