The best XI footballers managed by Sam Allardyce at Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham and Everton
Sam Allardyce may not have managed any of the world's elite clubs - or indeed won any trophies - but he has revitalised the careers of many star names and cult heroes.
Big Sam's career as a boss took off during his pioneering spell at Bolton Wanderers, where he spent years bringing together an eclectic mix of cult heroes and globe-trotting 'former' stars who had either lost their way or merely aged out of favour elsewhere and somehow got them all to play to his unique tune that was continually branded overly physical and direct.
Those who watched the Trotters closely during this period will know this was a lazy, uninformed criticism or just sour grapes from managers and fans of sides who regularly struggled to work out a way to deal with it. Think predominately Arsenal, Tottenham, any other London club (except Chelsea) and Rafael Benitez.
He took the club from the lower reaches of the Championship in 1999 to as high as fifth in the Premier League by the time of his departure two games before the end of the 2006-07 season, while he managed European qualification twice and also reached a Mike Riley-ruined League Cup final.
Since then, his formula for 'success' has never been anywhere near as appreciated as it was at Bolton although he's never tasted relegation and left Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton in a better position than when he joined thanks to his 'fire-fighting' abilities. And he had a 100% record as England boss too!
As you'll see highlighted below, many of 'his' players had creativity, skills, flair and charisma in abundance to compliment the braun.
By Chris Hammer
All-time XI of footballers who have played for Sam Allardyce
(NB, Players were judged by how influential they were in Allardyce's teams not by their own individual career records)
Goalkeeper: Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton & West Ham)
The Bolton legend was one of the finest shot-stoppers in the business and his heroics between the sticks were instrumental in their climb up the divisions and into Europe.
So highly-rated by his former boss, who continually talks up the importance of clean sheets, the pair were reunited in 2012 when Allardyce brought him to West Ham and proved he still had it.
Left-back: Ricardo Gardner (Bolton)
Started life at Bolton as an unpredictable attacking force and even scored one of the play-off final goals back in 2001 that sent Wanderers into the Premier League but over time, Allardyce transformed him into a dangerous left wingback.
The fact he went onto play over 400 games for the Trotters and was a key part of such a memorable era highlights how well Big Sam could reinvent players already at his disposal - and not just those who had lost their way elsewhere.
Centre-back: Ryan Nelson (Blackburn)
The likes of Bruno N'Gotty, Gudni Bergsson, Winston Reid and Chris Samba were contenders here but the former New Zealand captain just about gets the nod for his exceptional leadership qualities at the back.
He helped Blackburn earn a reputation as being one of the hardest sides to break down until, of course, it all went wrong under Venky's.
Centre-back: Fernando Hierro (Bolton)
Yes, you may say he played more in a defensive midfield role during his highly-impressive season with Bolton, but we're shoehorning him in here considering Ivan Campo gets the other spot in the team.
And it's not as if he didn't excel in this position during a legendary career for Real Madrid and the Spanish national side.
Despite being the ripe old age of 36, Hierro hadn't lost much his all-round world-class ability and it stood out during his 29 games with the Trotters, helping them finish sixth in 2005 and qualifying for Europe via their league position. It's no wonder everyone urged him to stay - only for him to retire instead.
Right-back: Michel Salgado (Blackburn)
Not for the first time, Big Sam raided Real Madrid for another ageing star but this time during his spell at Blackburn where he signed former Spanish international Michel Salgado.
He may have been coming towards the end of his career at 34 but Rovers fans won't need reminding the touch of class he brought to the side during his three seasons at Ewood Park.
Defensive midfield: Ivan Campo (Bolton)
Although he didn't enjoy quite the glittering career of Fernando Hierro at Real Madrid, Campo pips his former team-mate for this defensive midfield role in our Allardyce XI purely for his longer-term impact at Bolton and his ultimate cult hero status.
Originally sent by the Spanish giants to the Reebok Stadium on loan in 2002, Campo took the club, supporters and it's miserable weather to his heart, staying until 2008 and playing almost 150 games.
A 43-yard goal against Tottenham was his most spectacular moment but overall he'll be remembered by his feisty style, character, versatility and his knack of cheekily trying to 'give himself free kicks' by clutching the ball after going to ground. Sometimes it worked.
Central midfield: Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton)
Nigerian superstar Jay-Jay Okocha not only put smiles on every fans face with his dazzling array of skills that bamboozled the opposition - but there was an no shortage of substance behind the show-stopping style.
He scored spectacular goals, he scored important goals and he never went missing when his team needed him the most - during both their times of struggle and when flying high.
His crucial - and fantastic - strikes against West Ham and Middlesbrough effectively kept Bolton up in his debut season (2002-03) while his unforgettable bending free-kick against Aston Villa helped them reach the 2004 League Cup final.
It's no wonder Bolton fans had t-shirts printed "Jay-Jay – so good they named him twice" and as recently as last year voted him their best ever player in the post-Burnden Park era.
Central midfield: Gary Speed (Bolton)
The late Gary Speed arrived at Bolton after a legendary six-year stint at Newcastle but was as ageless as ever by becoming a formidable, dependable figure in the Trotters midfield for a further four seasons.
In December 2006, he became the first player to make 500 Premier League appearances while his goal against Reading in August 2007 made him the only player, at that point, to have scored in every Premier League season. Ryan Giggs, of course, later matched this record and eclipsed it a year later.
Attacking midfield: Youri Djorkaeff (Bolton)
Having tasted the World Cup '98 and Euro 2000 double with France, Youri Djorkaeff's career was drifting to a rather damp squib ending until Sam Allardyce snapped him up in 2002.
Three years later, a revitalised Djokaeff had become an integral part of the Bolton side and contributed copious amounts of flair, passion and attacking threat which saw him contribute 20 goals in 75 games.
Forward: Eidur Gudjohnsen (Bolton)
This might be one of the biggest surprises in the team considering the Icelandic talisman never actually played in the Premier League for Sam Allardyce - and nor was he even part of the promotion-winning team!
However, in Big Sam's first campaign as Trotters boss, which saw him take charge in October 1999 with the club in disarray, Gudjohnsen showed his star talents by scoring 21 times in all competitions as they reached the play-offs and semi-finals of both the FA Cup and League Cup.
Such was his qualities, Chelsea signed Gudjohnsen for £4.5 million and he went on to score 54 goals, win two Premier League titles and a League Cup before securing a dream move to Barcelona.
Forward: Nicolas Anelka (Bolton)
If Kevin Davies is reading this, he'll have every right to feel aggrieved to have missed out, especially because the manner of incredible service to the Trotters epitomised why they were able to punch above their weight for so long.
However, Nicolas Anelka was undeniably a world-class striker and the the most lethal finisher that Bolton have ever had in the modern era - albeit just for a season and a half.
Big Sam's Best XI
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Subs Bench
Rather than pick five, here's a long list of other Big Sam favourites who were unable to make the final XI. Some of those include names at Everton such as Wayne Rooney, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Seamus Coleman but this trio have either not played enough or impressed enough during Allardyce's short reign at Goodison Park.
- Paul Robinson
- Bruno N'Gotty
- Gudni Bergsson
- Winston Reid
- Joey O'Brien
- Tal Ben Haim
- Seamus Coleman
- Chris Samba
- Steven N'Zonzi
- Kevin Nolan
- El-Hadji Diouf
- Stelios Giannakopoulos
- Morten Gamst Pedersen
- Jermain Defoe
- Wayne Rooney
- Kevin Davies
All-time XI: Footballers managed by Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool
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Last updated at 1130 GMT 21/03/2018.
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