GARY Bowyer’s approach to life is borne out of F.E.A.R.

It is a song by one of his music idols, Ian Brown, and one particular lyric strikes a chord with the Blackburn Rovers manager.

Bowyer’s ascent to his current position came on the back of a playing career that ended in 1997 at the age of 25.

It was a crushing disappointment, but he knows it paved the way for what has followed since.

“Ian Brown sings a song For Everything A Reason,” said Bowyer, speaking in his office at Rovers’ Brockhall training ground.

“I agree with that, I think everything does happen for a reason. I’m a big believer in fate.

“I wouldn’t be sat here now probably if I’d played for a lot longer.”

After starting his career at Hereford, Bowyer earned a dream move to Nottingham Forest in 1990.

It was the club he supported as a boy, the club with whom his father Ian won the European Cup two years in succession.

But injuries eventually took their toll on him.

“Unfortunately I didn’t have as long a playing career as I would have liked,” Bowyer said.

“I had a stomach operation after probably two seasons at Forest which got complicated and took over a year. I had an initial appendix but there were complications with it. I had to have another operation but it took a while to get it diagnosed.

“Then I had a back operation in 1994 or 1995 at the end of my time at Forest, which took a lot longer than it should have done.

“I went to Rotherham for two years, but at at the end of that second year the trouble had flared up again with my back.

“I went to see the specialist and he said it might not be the best idea to carry on playing, which is hard when you get told that.”

Was he tempted to ignore that advice?

“I did ignore the doctor’s advice and tried,” he said. “I tried to manage it and look after myself, but I knew I was in pain.”

Bowyer never made a first team appearance in five years at Forest. It is a regret, but he always knew that he would find it tough to break into side at the City Ground having made the step up from Division Four.

“It was a dream come true to sign for Forest,” he said.

“It was something that I’d always wanted to do and to go back and play for Forest was magnificent.

“The club means a lot to me. When the fixtures came out last week and I saw it will be Forest in our opening home game at Ewood, it was unbelievable, after my first home game in charge was against Forest on New Year’s Day.

“I was nowhere near the first team when I arrived at Forest. I had two years in the reserves and in those days when you played in the reserves you were playing against first teamers.

“I played against Jan Molby and John Barnes at Liverpool and couldn’t get near either of them because they were that good, but it brought you on as a player.

“For me sadly now that’s one of the things that the young lads don’t get enough of. They’re playing under 21 games where occasionally there might be a pro in there.

“You played on the grounds. I played at Old Trafford and I think I played the last game at Anfield before it became an all-seater Kop.”

Bowyer was due to be in the squad for the 1991 FA Cup final, when Forest were beaten 2-1 by Tottenham in a match overshadowed by Paul Gascoigne’s serious injury.

“Brian Clough used to get a big squad for the Wembley games and take a young one for experience,” he said. “I was the young one that was going. We got measured up for the suits and I was buzzing because we all got a Paul Smith suit. As young kid there was no way I could afford a Paul Smith suit.

“Unfortunately I got injured in the week leading up to the game and I think Steve Stone took my place. It was a great occasion but Gazza did his knee in a challenge with Gary Charles and then it was not the great result for Forest because Des Walker scored an own goal and we lost.

“It was disappointing to leave Forest without playing for the first team but I’d reached a stage where I knew I wasn’t quite good enough.

“This is what we say to the young lads now. It’s about reaching levels and being honest with yourself. You need to go and earn a career.”

Bowyer made 38 appearances for Rotherham in two seasons in the third tier, under Archie Gemmill and then Danny Bergara.

But he missed out at Wembley once more as he was an unused substitute in the 1996 Auto Windscreens final victory over Shrewsbury.

“I think the week leading up to the game I’d been sent off at Blackpool and I got dropped then for the final,” Bowyer said.

“I was sub so that wasn’t the greatest of days in that sense personally.

“But you have to show resilience and commitment and I can remember the lad who played instead of me, Paul Hurst.

“You’ve got to be supportive of him and be a team player, no matter how hard it is.

“I was part of a team and I’d played my part for us to get to the final. Obviously it was disappointing not to get on to the pitch but you can have no qualms because we won.”