Charlton boss made motorway dash for scouting mission on Bolton Wanderers

Charlton manager Dean Holden has managed to catch most of his former club Bolton’s last two matches ahead of this weekend’s clash at The Valley.

Holden made a motorway dash to Derby County’s Pride Park on Saturday.

Charlton’s fixture on Saturday at Peterborough was postponed after a 2pm pitch inspection.

Holden was back on the road on Tuesday evening to watch Bolton win 1-0 at home against Forest Green Rovers 1-0.

Wanderers are fifth in the League One table – 13 points ahead of their South London opponents this weekend, although they have played an extra match.

“I got there just after the half-hour mark [on Saturday],” Holden told the South London Press. “So it was still worth the trip.

“They have been with Ian [Evatt] for a good while now and they’ve had some success together. He’s got a well-established philosophy and play a really expansive style in a 3-5-2. They have some really good players in those attacking positions.

“They did a job on us earlier on in the season. They are always going to be a difficult game. They are a big club in this division, aren’t they? We have to be bang at it. They are a good football side.”

Holden came through the youth ranks at Bolton before joining Oldham in 2002.

“I was there from the age of 13 until I was 21 or 22,” said the 43-year-old, who was appointed Charlton boss last month.

“I was there through my teens – leaving school, YTS and then turning professional. I had to fight for it. There were players at my age, U16s, that were guaranteed two or three-year professional contracts at the end of their YTS scheme. I was just on a two-year YTS.

“Then it all took off. Big Sam [Allardyce] took over and gave me my debut. I played in a League Cup semi-final, double legged, and FA Cup quarter-final. Unfortunately it ended for me on the back of a broken leg. I came back from that, just in time for the superstars to arrive in your Djorkaeffs, your N’Gottys, your Hierros and Jay-Jay Okocha.

“I had a year left on my contract. I spoke to Sam Allardyce and he was honest. They’d gone to the Premier League as well, and I probably needed to go out and get games to get my career going as well.

“I’ve got a lot of really, really strong memories of that period of my life. It’s a brilliant club that were always incredible with me. There are still a lot of people I still speak to, which you don’t necessarily get with every club you’ve been at.

“Even at the weekend, at Derby, I was speaking to one or two board members who had been there at the time I was there. It’s that type of club. I’ve been back four or five times this season to do local radio work and I always get treated very well, myself and my family.”