Julian Darby is determined to do everything he can to hand over Wanderers in good shape after the honour of helping to lead the team himself, writes Pete Oliver.
Youth Team boss Darby steps up alongside the B Team coaching duo of Andy Taylor and Andrew Tutte to take charge of the Whites following this week’s departure of Ian Evatt as manager.
The trio will be in the dug-out for Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield Town and potentially next Tuesday night’s visit of Northampton Town as Wanderers work to land the right person to replace Evatt on a permanent basis.
And Darby believes the successful candidate will secure an excellent job as he prepares to fulfil one of the few roles he hasn’t performed in years of service to Wanderers as a player and coach.
“I think this is the last one I've not done,” said the former Whites’ midfielder. “I'll be immensely proud, myself and my family. It means an awful lot.
“I used to watch from the terraces at Burnden Park, then I was a ball boy, then I was an apprentice and then a player, captain for two or three games, coach with the U18s, coach with the Reserves, so this is the next one on the list and then I think I've virtually chalked them all off now.
“It's a fantastic club; the infrastructure, the ground, the training ground, the fan base, everything about it, the people who work here. It's a great club for someone to come into.
“Someone will be very lucky. They will, and when it happens I just wish them all the very best because they're representing that badge and the badge goes along way.”
Farnworth-born and Bolton School-educated Darby played almost 350 games for the Whites between 1986 and 1993 after coming through the apprentice ranks.
As well as subsequently filling senior coaching positions at Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Preston North End, the 57-year-old has also previously helped out at first-team level at Wanderers.
He will have more input this time around, though, and is relishing the prospect of trying to lead Wanderers to a first win in four league games and back towards the top six after taking training with Taylor and Tutte for the first time today (Thursday).
“It’s been a good day,” Darby added. “I said to the boys in the meeting today ‘we’re a win away from a play-off place'. We are just over half-way through the season. There's an awful lot to play for and there's some talent in that dressing room.
“They just need a bit more belief, possibly, and a bit more fortune and come out fighting and let’s see what happens towards the end of the season.
“I was really pleased with how they trained. It would be easy for them to come off the gas and say ‘who are these guys, I'll wait for the manager to come'. But they were bang at it.
“I don't think Huddersfield have been beaten in the league since the beginning of October. They’re on a 16-game unbeaten run so I've got no illusions. It's not going to be easy.
“But we're the underdogs. I love being an underdog, so let's be positive, let's turn up, let's go after them if we can and see where it takes us.”
Watch the full pre-match interview with Julian Darby on Wanderers TV