Allardyce is a born winner, says former Blackburn Rovers midfielder (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Allardyce is a born winner, says former Blackburn Rovers midfielder

2:10pm Friday 20th November 2009

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PER Frandsen insists Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce is a “born winner” having been part of his Bolton revolution at the turn of the century.

The Danish midfielder spent a forgettable seven-month spell at Blackburn Rovers in 1999, between almost eight glorious years at Bolton, and admits his loyalties still very much lie with the Trotters.

Allardyce’s Rovers travel to their Lancashire rivals on Sunday looking to end a 10-match losing streak on their travels and, despite rooting for Bolton, Frandsen knows his old boss’ return to the Reebok will provide a stern test.

He said: “When I came back (to Bolton) I didn’t think the team was very good. I wondered about some things, but we got up through the play-offs and stayed in the Premier League and that’s great credit to the club. It was a great achievement.

“I put it down to Big Sam. He was a born winner and that mentality went through to the players. It was the same with his staff, like Neil McDonald and Phil Brown, it was a match made in heaven.

“I remember laughing when they said Bolton would be in Europe in five years’ time. But five years later, they were.”

The 39-year-old, capped 23 times by his country after Colin Todd snapped him up for £1.25million from FC Copenhagen, made over 300 appearances for Wanderers in two spells between 1996 and 2004.

In comparison he failed to settle at Ewood Park after a £1.75m switch to Ewood Park in September 1999, making just a handful of appearances before returning to Bolton – this time under Allardyce.

Frandsen, now assistant manager at HB Køge, said: “I always considered myself a Bolton player,” he said.

“I spent only seven months at Blackburn, while I spent seven-and-a-half years at Bolton.

“I probably know more of the staff at Blackburn, now Sam Allardyce is there, and I still speak to Neil McDonald regularly. The only players left at Bolton that I played with are Jussi Jaaskelainen, Ricardo Gardner and Kevin Davies.

“But Bolton means a lot to me and I always look to see how they get on. It was a wonderful time in my career and I’ll be wishing them well.

“It will be a tight game though on Sunday. Bolton are still very good at home and Blackburn don’t tend to do very well away. I think it will be a draw, 1-1 maybe.”

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