Nigel Reo-Coker says he loved playing under Owen Coyle – and believes the Scot had a tough job at Wanderers.

Reo-Coker joined the Whites in the summer of 2011 and went on to make 42 appearances prior to his exit 12 months later following relegation from the Premier League.

The midfielder – who also had spells with West Ham and Aston Villa among others – described Coyle as a “unique” manager.

He recalled speaking to the former Bolton boss on a “personal level” and how he would even join in with training sessions.

However, Reo-Coker reckons the squad were affected by factors off the pitch during the 2011/12 campaign, which ultimately ended in heartbreak.

“The thing with Owen Coyle is he was the nicest manager I’ve ever come across,” he told The Shirtless Plantain Show.

“I spoke to him on a personal level and he told me his reasons why he was that way, and I really liked him. I can’t say anything negative about him.

“I just felt sorry for him because I think if he had the right people playing for him – the Bolton thing was so difficult for him. At the time there were 11 like players coming out of contract.

“As a manager like that, with how nice he was, it is hard to be able to motivate these players when a bit of selfishness comes in football and everyone is worried for themselves, with contracts coming up.

“If Bolton stayed up, it was not going to affect whether they were going to get a new deal or not. So he was in a difficult position but as a manager, he was fun.

“He used to join in training and used to play striker. He used to put the ball in the top bin and make fun of the players in training that couldn’t do it! He was a unique manager.”

Coyle went on to have spells with Wigan and Blackburn among others after leaving Wanderers, as well as a successful stint in India with Jamshedpur.

The 56-year-old is currently managing Scottish outfit Queen’s Park, who sit third in the Scottish Championship table.