Sam Allardyce was 'ahead of the curve' at Bolton Wanderers

Elliott was part of the Bolton squad when Big Sam took charge in 1999, succeeding Colin Todd in the dugout.

The defender had joined the Whites from Newcastle a couple of years prior as the club relocated to the Reebok Stadium.

However, he suffered a broken leg during his debut and spent over a year on the sidelines before eventually returning to the pitch.

Elliott enjoyed working under Allardyce and insists that he had a keen eye for detail as well as being a good motivator.

"Sam gets a bad rap as a bit of a dinosaur, but that couldn’t be further from the truth," Elliott told FourFourTwo.

"He was way ahead of the curve on so many things. We were one of the first clubs to use Prozone and in-depth analytics, he was very creative.

"The season before we went up, we reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, the League Cup and the play-offs before falling just short in all three.

“That was crushing. It speaks volumes about Sam’s motivation that we were galvanised to go again and do even better the next year. I loved playing for Sam."

Elliott came off the bench against Preston North End in the 2001 play-off final at the Millennium Stadium as Allardyce’s men secured a return to the top flight.

However, the full back decided to return to boyhood club Newcastle that summer instead of continuing the journey with Big Sam and Co.

"It was (a tough decision), we had just achieved something brilliant at Bolton," he added. "But it was Newcastle, my club.

"I probably would’ve said no to anyone else but not to Newcastle, especially with Sir Bobby Robson in charge.

“He had that aura about him and no matter how you were playing, whether you were fit or out of form, he would always ask you how you were, how your family members were and how things at home were. He had everyone’s full respect.

"He was a fantastic manager but also a true gentleman, and I loved him so much. I was thrilled to be back."