KEVIN Nolan does not blame Sammy Lee for what proved to be one of the unhappiest spells of his Wanderers career.

Lee comes back to the Reebok this afternoon for the first time since being sacked as manager last October.

Now assistant to Rafa Benitez at Anfield, the 49-year-old coach will best be remembered in these parts for a desperately unsuccessful six-month spell at the helm – a period which also co-incided with a major low for the Wanderers skipper.

Lee’s last major selection decision was to drop both Nolan and Gary Speed from the squad beaten by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a result for which he paid with his job four days later.

Nolan insists that there is no animosity on his part.

“It wasn’t my happiest time but it definitely wasn’t down to Sammy Lee,” he recalled. “The fans were having a bit of a pop at me and I wasn’t playing in the right position but I hold Sammy in high regard and don’t blame him for a thing. I always gave 100 per cent for him when he was here and I’d buy him a drink tomorrow.”

Although Lee’s first foray into management proved disastrous, with Wanderers notching just two wins in 13 games under his guidance, Nolan has credited much of Liverpool’s success this season to his former boss.

“I’m not saying for one minute that in a few year’s time he won’t be a good manager because I think he will be,” the skipper said. “I just think it was such a tough job to take here and he will probably learn from his mistakes and go on and be a better man for it.

“As far as I’m concerned he is the best coach I have ever worked with.

“We have got another guy here now, Steve Wigley, who is very similar. But I’d say our loss is Liverpool’s gain because I can see a lot of the reason they are doing well now is because of Sammy.”

Nolan returns from suspension this afternoon looking to help Wanderers cement their mid-table position - a far cry from the turmoil which prevailed at this stage of last season in the aftermath of both Allardyce and Lee’s departures.

“We were all groomed and brought up with the Sam Allardyce philosophy and the success he got with it,” the midfielder said. “But when Sammy wanted to change a few bits and bobs and bring a few staff in. It was like a revolving door.

“That’s why I don’t think too many people wanted the job when Sammy took over and why there wasn’t many takers when he left.

“They knew what a massive job Sam had done and what a task it was going to be to follow him. You were in a no-win situation - if you did well, you inherited it from Sam and if you doesn’t, it was because we’d lost Big Sam. It was a case of sack him, let’s get another one in.”

Which makes Nolan all the more thankful that life under the current manager is all the more secure, despite recent vibes from the terraces to the contrary.

“We were really in danger at that point because after losing Sammy then the fans wanting to get rid of Gary Megson, you were thinking ‘if we keep sacking all these managers, who is going to want to take it on in the end?” Nolan said.

“It was good that the board stuck with Gary because we managed to stay up and now we are starting to see the benefits of having him at the top.

“I’m delighted he is still in the job to be honest because it is about stablising the club now and I think over the next year or so we can get back to the way we were.”