Bolton Wanderers: Sam Allardyce backs 42-year-old to replace Ian Evatt after ruling himself out of vacancy | OneFootball

The Whites are now on the lookout for Ian Evatt's successor

Former Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce believes that former Luton Town boss Rob Edwards would be the ideal man to take the club forward.

After a season full of inconsistency, the Whites hierarchy decided to part ways with former boss Ian Evatt, who had been at the club for four-and-a-half years after being installed in the dugout at the Toughsheet Community Stadium at the beginning of Wanderers' one-season stint in League Two back in 2020/21.

Evatt guided the club back to League One at the first attempt, before consolidating the club's position back in the third tier, as well as making several key signings such as the recently departed Dion Charles, who joined from Accrington Stanley in January 2022.

Bolton then enjoyed success in the EFL Trophy with a 4-0 rout over Plymouth Argyle at Wembley, before suffering play-off heartbreak at the hands of Barnsley and Oxford United in successive seasons.

After failing to achieve promotion last term, Evatt admitted that he came close to leaving, and after being under scrutiny for large proportions of the current campaign, his 261-game tenure reached its conclusion with a 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic.

Unsurprisingly, speculation is already rife regarding potential replacements, and Allardyce, a bonafide legend as a player and manager in these parts, has had his say on matters.

So far, the two main contenders to take over from Evatt,as per a report from Alan Nixon, come in the form of Steven Schumacher and Steve Evans, who would offer very different approaches, whilst it had been reported by the Sun that Allardyce was keen on a second stint in charge of Bolton.

However, he would soon quash such rumours, stating : “My passion for Bolton is always there," he said on the latest episode of the 'No Tippy Tappy Football' Podcast.

“I was born in the Midlands but Bolton is my town and my club, and everybody knows that because of the great times I had as a player and as the manager.

“If I can help I would, if they asked me to, not as the manager though. I think that needs to go to somebody that is ready to take the club to the next level and the board is hopefully there to support him.

“I wouldn't want the job, the fear of them thinking if I went back into help that I would be there to take their job is just total nonsense. If I wanted to go back and I wanted the manager's job, I'd say ‘Well, I'd like to go back to Bolton’. But I wouldn't. I'd like to go back and help him if I could but not as the manager.

"Ian did a great job at Bolton, but unfortunately for whatever reason this season when the fans turn on you a little bit, which appears to be the case, then the board listens, don't they.

"And when the board is getting that pressure then they make a decision. But many good coaches would want that position."

Sam Allardyce namedrops Rob Edwards as ideal Ian Evatt replacement

The one-time England manager then reflected on the circumstances which led to Evatt's demise after a largely successful period in charge, as well as namedropping the recently-departed Luton boss as his first-choice to take the reins.

“Rob Edwards with what he did at Luton should be the top choice if he's ready to overcome his disappointment for what happened to him at Luton this year," Allardyce said.

"It's quite strange the demise of Luton and why it happened to him like it did. It would be interesting to find out what he thought.”

Rob Edwards would be a major coup for Bolton Wanderers if he was up for the job

Despite the well-documented struggles which the Hatters enjoyed during the final weeks and months of his tenure at Kenilworth Road, Edwards is likely to remain very highly-rated on the managerial circuit after his previous exploits, not just in Bedfordshire, but at the likes of Forest Green Rovers, who he guided into League One for the first time in 2022.

Of course, circumstances at Luton have drastically changed of late, with one season in the Premier League meaning it was expected that the club would be challenging for an immediate return, despite a lack of overall investment in the summer, regardless of the hefty sum spent on Mark McGuinness.

It remains to be seen whether the 42-year-old would jump straight back into management given the chaotic nature of his two-year stint down south.

Given the effective style of play he was able to implement after being instilled by Gary Sweet in November 2022, with the rewards of a play-off final success just months down the line, it's a scenario which Bolton fans are unlikely to turn their noses up at.

Of course, the Whites' own season isn't beyond salvage whatsoever, as they find themselves just three points behind Reading in sixth, with 20 games of their season remaining.