IF many trod carefully around Brian Clough, Gary Bowyer had no such worries.

Clough may have been on the way to becoming one of this country’s greatest ever managers, but his formidable reputation had no impact on a fearless young child.

Bowyer had never met the Nottingham Forest boss before, but his father Ian was not in the starting line-up and he wanted to know why.

It is a tale that has become famous in the Bowyer family.

“So the story goes, I think I was about five or six and my dad was out of the team,” Bowyer recalls with a chuckle.

“We were at a Christmas party and I asked Brian Clough why my dad wasn’t playing.

“I think that was my first meeting with the legend.

“I can’t remember what he said. I probably got my dad a fine!”

Thirty five years on, and now Bowyer is manager of Blackburn Rovers and finally has the control over team selection he might have liked back then.

Born in 1971, he was immersed in the world of football from the very start.

His father would be part of one of the most remarkable eras English football has seen, as Forest won the First Division title in 1978 and then incredibly went on to win the European Cup in both 1979 and 1980.

Bowyer was a regular at the City Ground for matches.

“Every Saturday I was there as a kid,” he said. “I was very proud to go and watch him. My brother and sister are twins and they came along, and my mum took us.

“The European nights were special nights and if I’d done all my homework I was allowed to go to the game!

“In the semi final against Cologne, they drew 3-3 at the City Ground and my dad scored.

“They went away to Germany and everyone had written them off, but they won 1-0 and my dad scored the winner.

“Then for the final I can remember the excitement, being dressed in Forest kit all day waiting for the game at night.

“I wasn’t old enough to go to the first European Cup final against Malmo, but I went to the second one against Hamburg. I was eight and I was allowed to go to Madrid.

“It was my first time abroad to go and watch a game and I went the night before with my nana and grandad. It was a fantastic experience.

“Hamburg had Kevin Keegan in their team and I can remember John Robertson scoring very early on. We just watched the clock for the remaining minutes, for what felt like a day.

“Then you fly home and the next day there was the open top bus tour of Nottingham and you’d go down and watch that – “It was special."

His father’s second spell at Forest, after a brief period with Sunderland, would end in 1987.

From there the midfielder became player-manager at Fourth Division Hereford, after narrowly missing out on the vacancy at Ewood Park. By then, inspired by his father’s achievements, Bowyer was developing his own skills as a footballer.

He would sign for Hereford in 1989 and had the rare honour of playing alongside his father for the club.

“Just before Don Mackay got it I think he had an interview here at Blackburn, so it could have been a lot different,” Bowyer said.

“I played under him at Hereford and he was very demanding.

“I think we played together twice. I don’t think anyone’s done it since.

“Henrik Larsson played with his son the other night I saw but I don’t think Henrik was manager.

“The first time we played together my dad was sub and we were losing at Scunthorpe. He brought himself on, and we drew 3-3.

“I can remember I was the one who scored the equaliser and looking back now I think he was the only one who didn’t come and congratulate me, because it was my fault for the first goal!

“When we got back into the dressing room he reminded me that if I’d have not made that mistake we’d have won 3-2!

“But as I look back now it was the right way to deal with it. It brought me back down to earth.

“I have to give him full credit for how he handled the situation.

“He didn’t treat me any differently. If anything it was always made harder.”

Bowyer made 14 league appearances for Hereford after breaking into the first team at the end of the 1989/90 season.

He would also help them to victory in the Welsh Cup final – even though Hereford is 16 miles east of the Welsh border.

“Hereford were in the Welsh Cup for some reason and we won it that year at Cardiff Arms Park,” he said.

“We beat Wrexham. I was 18, playing in a cup final in a massive stadium.

“We had Darren Peacock in the team, I roomed with him that weekend I remember.

“He played here at Blackburn and rang me the other week, he’s just taken over as manager at Lancaster.

“They were happy days for me and I always look out for Hereford’s results.”

His father’s time as a manager ended after departing Hereford in 1990, but the coaching career continued.

With it came vast experience that Bowyer junior is able to tap into in his new role as Rovers boss.

“He’s been a number two for Trevor Francis at Birmingham and for Paul Hart back at Nottingham Forest, and he’s worked up in Scotland under Jim McLean,” Bowyer said. “I’m so fortunate that I’ve got that wealth of knowledge to turn to. I just hope now he doesn’t start charging me for it!

“I was on the phone constantly at the end of the season and he came to quite a few of the games.

“I was reminded by mum the other day that the only time I didn’t ring him was when it was his birthday! I was in the doghouse a bit for that!

“You hear a lot about young coaches when it’s their first job bringing somebody in who’s a senior head.

“I’m fortunate that I’ve got that in my dad, I’ve got him on the end of the phone or I can pop down and see him. He’s not too far away, he lives near Crewe and fortunately he’s only too happy to help.”