THE Reebok will be rocking on Sunday when the Bolton fans welcome Owen Coyle back home.

To say I’m delighted to see my old team-mate appointed manager is the biggest understatement of the season.

Like everyone else, I had a fair idea it was on the cards last week but no way was I going to jinx it by mentioning his name. I couldn’t have forgiven myself if I had put a spanner in the works and, for some reason it hadn’t come off.

Obviously Burnley were doing their best to keep him — and that tells you in itself how highly they rated him.

I can understand Clarets fans being disappointed to lose him but they shouldn’t criticise him. In fact they should be applauding him and thanking him because, but for him, they would not be in the Premier League.

One thing’s for sure. He’s a popular choice with the Bolton fans.

They loved him when he was here as a player and they’re excited at the prospect of seeing what he can do as manager. He wore his heart on his sleeve when he played for the club and I’m sure he’ll get his team playing in the same way. The fans will love that.

He’s going to need help off the senior players, of course, because he takes over a club in the bottom three. But, in many ways, our season starts here.

There are 60 points to be played for and, while this is the same squad that has played in the first 18 games, they’ll get a fresh start. Players who might not have thought they were in the picture before will start with a clean slate and the whole club should have a freshness about it.

I just hope none of the players think they can pull the wool over his eyes.

They’ve got a shock coming if they do because, even though he was a slight figure (certainly compared to me), he could always look after himself on the pitch. You never saw him pushed around.

He was a great character and, to me, always looked destined for management.

Coyley was a great talker on the pitch, a great organiser and was interested in doing his coaching badges even then.

That team of ours was full of leaders, it was a strong dressing room and he was one of the strongest.

Like the chairman said, his enthusiasm is infectious, and he’s a winner. Even in the head tennis matches we had, he always partnered John McGinlay and nobody could beat them.

Obviously I took an interest in what he did when he went into management in Scotland, and wasn’t surprised to see him do well up there and again when he came down here with Burnley.

So full marks to the chairman for bringing him here.

And what about that for a first match — Arsenal. Coyley scored some important goals in his time for Bolton — none more so than the one in the play-off final that got Bolton into the Premier League. But one that really sticks out for me is the one he scored here against Arsenal in the FA Cup tie in 1994 that went to a replay which we famously won — a goal which I set up for him.

The good times are rolling again here and I hope the new mood rubs off on Peter Farrell’s team who take on Fulham at the Reebok on Thursday in the FA Youth Cup.

And I expect the Lifeline agents and members will be in good spirits when they have their annual parties at the Premier Suite on the next two Saturdays. I’ll be there celebrating their success with them.