Sam Allardyce, the legendary manager, had a unique approach to convincing footballing superstars to join Bolton Wanderers during his eight-year tenure from 1999 to 2007. Turning the Lancashire club into a surprising destination for some of the biggest names in the game, Allardyce's methods are as intriguing as the players he brought in.
Having secured promotion to the Premier League and established themselves in the top flight, Bolton shocked the football world in 2002 by signing Jay-Jay Okocha from Paris Saint-Germain. At 28, the Nigerian captain was at the peak of his powers, and his arrival paved the way for more high-profile signings.
That summer, Allardyce added French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff and Ivan Campo, initially on loan from Real Madrid, to his squad. Bolton's success continued, culminating in a League Cup final appearance in 2004, which led to the signing of Real Madrid and Spanish legend Fernando Hierro. His presence helped the club secure a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League and a place in Europe.
During Allardyce's time at the helm, other stars like Gary Speed, Tal Ben Haim, El Hadji Diouf and Nicolas Anelka followed suit. But how did Big Sam convince these players to join a relatively small club like Bolton?
Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, Allardyce revealed his secret: "The training ground was portacabins and stuff like that, and just two pitches. At least we had a great stadium, didnât we? So we took them to the Reebok and to the hotel, and that was okay. After they signed, we took them to the training ground. If weâd showed Jay-Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaeff that, they wouldnât have bothered signing on! We managed to improve year on year to make it that much better, but it was a sticking point. They used to say 'well, can I see the training ground?' and weâd say 'well, thereâs a lot of working going on at the moment, you wonât see anything really'. We sort of blagged our way through it at that time.â
Allardyce's cunning tactics, coupled with Bolton's impressive performances, led to a remarkable period for the club. With Bolton sitting fifth in the Premier League and securing UEFA Cup football for the second time, Allardyce stepped down in April 2007 to take charge of Newcastle.
Following his departure, Bolton's fortunes declined, slipping into the bottom half of the Premier League and ultimately suffering relegation to the Championship in 2012. They have remained in the EFL ever since.
Despite the club's struggles in recent years, Sam Allardyce will always be remembered as a Bolton legend, having turned the club into a surprising contender and a destination for some of the biggest names in the sport.