KEVIN Nolan has lifted the lid on why his successful spell at a player at Bolton Wanderers helped shape his career as a manager.
The former club captain left the Reebok in 2009, a decade after he had been fast-tracked by Sam Allardyce in a side that was challenging for promotion to the Premier League.
At his pomp, Nolan was one of the country’s most potent attacking midfielders, overlooked on the international stage by England to the chagrin of many a Whites fan, the Liverpudlian was nevertheless one of the most effective players of his type, scoring 47 top-flight goals in his time with the club.
But since concluding his playing career with a player-manager spell at Leyton Orient in 2016, his sights have been set firmly on following Big Sam’s path to success in the dugout.
Early experiences with a chaotic Orient and Notts County in the lower leagues were character-building, if nothing else, but Nolan’s real coaching credentials were built alongside David Moyes at West Ham and led to a short spell in charge of England’s Under-20s.
The opportunity to manage against at club level was something he was keen to seize and arrived in December last year at Northampton Town.
Speaking exclusively to The Bolton News via Sky Bet, Nolan discussed what he had taken from his years under Big Sam and applied to current role.
He said: “The biggest thing I’ve taken from Sam Allardyce – and I still do it now – is how he handled team selection. Once I’ve named the team, whether that’s on a Thursday or Friday, I say to the players: ‘You’re more than welcome to come and speak to me after the game, but not before.’
“That’s important. It gives the player time to process the news, especially if they’re not starting. It allows them to take it in, watch the game, understand the bigger picture, and then – if they still feel strongly – they can come in on Monday and have a proper conversation about it. That’s something Sam did well. And usually, when you did go in to see him, he had this way of making you think his decision was the right one. You’d walk in questioning it and walk out seeing his logic. He made you think differently – and that always stuck with me.
“Another thing I learned from Sam is the importance of staff relationships. He trusted his staff and I believe that’s vital. As a manager, you need a strong bond with your team. You’ve got to trust them to deliver your messages to the players and help drive the standards every day.”
Of the first Wanderers team who qualified for Europe in 2005, precious few have gone on to succeed in coaching or management.
Gary Speed had success with Wales before he passed away, the likes of Kevin Davies, Stelios, Bruno N’Gotty, Joey O’Brien, Ricardo Gardner, Jussi Jaaskelainen had qualified successes in their own field. But Nolan is the only one of Big Sam’s most successful group who are operating at a similar level to Wanderers these days.
But are there any of his former team-mates who he was surprised to see resist the coaching game, or those who might have grasped the nettle?
He said: “I must admit, I haven’t worked with Nicky Hunt on the coaching side, but I know he’s been managing at a lower-league level alongside Michael Clegg, who’s done well down there. There’s a good balance between them, and ‘Cleggy’ speaks very highly of him.
“I’ll be honest, I didn’t necessarily see Nicky going into coaching – I thought he might go more into being a DJ, because that’s what he was like as a player. But it’s great to see he’s stepped into management and is making his own mark.
“The one that really surprised me was Guðni Bergsson not going into management. He was such a strong leader, both on and off the pitch. When I was breaking into the first team at Bolton, he was one of the captains and a real presence in the dressing room. I always thought he had what it takes to be a manager, so I’m really surprised he didn’t dip his toes into it.”
Nolan will be demanding high standards from his Northampton players when they return this summer having finished five points clear of the relegation zone this season, with aspirations to improve this term – and admits his own shortcomings led to the toughest pre-season of his own career as a player.
He said: “It was that second season back in the Premier League. I’d enjoyed the downtime a bit too much and didn’t come back in the right shape for pre-season, and that ended up affecting me throughout the whole campaign. Pre-season is vital if you want to be the best version of yourself, and I wasn’t. I kept picking up silly little injuries, just niggles really, but they disrupted my rhythm and frustrated me.
“That experience has stuck with me, and it's why, as a coach now, I demand that players stay in top condition. The demands of the modern game are so high – physically and mentally – that you’ve got to be ready to go. A strong pre-season gives you the platform to perform, and that year taught me that preparation is everything.”
Although Nolan has hit on a positive note with Northampton, he does look back on his time with Wanderers with fondness, and his welcome in the season just gone as the Cobblers boss showed in what high regard he is still held by the Bolton fans.
He said: "I was at Bolton for many years – captain – and I was lucky enough to play alongside some incredible players. I’ve got some amazing memories from that time. Going back there in my first few weeks as Northampton manager was emotional. To get that warm reception from the fans, to be back in that environment – it brought a lot of good memories.
“What we achieved there – no one can ever take that away. A small-town club like Bolton, competing with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton down the road, Manchester City – and not just holding our own, but really mixing it with them. It was an incredible period, and we all played a part in making it happen.”
It is a decade since Wanderers first qualified for Europe, an honour which was confirmed with a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth, El-Hadji Diouf’s goal confirming a UEFA Cup campaign the club could never have dreamed of before.
“It was an incredible journey, truly a dream,” Nolan recalled. “But it was a dream we actively worked towards. I remember five years before; we set that goal. We [the players] even bought a horse, with Phil Brown, Sam [Allardyce], and called it ‘European Dream’. It’s a nice little memory.
“The reason we were successful was because we all believed in that dream. Mental toughness was key, and Sam instilled that in us – as players and as a team. He didn’t just want us to stay in the Premier League; he wanted us to improve year on year. And we did.
“I played a big role as captain in helping Sam achieve his vision, and he helped me achieve my own goals along the way.”
Nolan picked up the captaincy from another Wanderers legend, Jay-Jay Okocha, at a time when the Nigerian wizard did not seem to be coping with the pressure as well as he had in his two-and-a-half years in the role.
Nolan recalled: “It was a bit strange, to be honest, because usually you’d expect something like that at the end or beginning of the season, but this came halfway through. Gary Speed was there, but it was just an incredible honour.
“I’d been at the club for six or seven years by then. So, when I got called into the office, I thought I might be in trouble, or maybe the gaffer was just going to give me a bit of a talking-to. But when he said he was going to make me captain, I was overwhelmed. It brought tears to my eyes, and I knew it was a pivotal moment in my career.
“After that, I went on to captain every club I played for, which was an incredible honour. It was great to see that I had the leadership qualities, and Sam gave me the chance to show that. I believe that’s one of the reasons I had the career I did, because leadership was always one of my main strengths.”
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