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KEITH Hill has revealed how he was bowled over the moment he knew he had the Bolton Wanderers job.
On Saturday evening, the 50-year-old Boltonian was in the middle of a family party at Astley Bridge Cricket Club when he got a call from club director, Mike James, to tell him he had got the nod.
The secret did not last long. And within a few minutes the whole place was rocking to a different celebration.
“It was my granddaughter’s fourth birthday so my mum was there, my sisters were there, my little boy, my wife was there - it was emotional,” Hill told The Bolton News.
“I got emotional on the phone to Mike, telling us we got the job.
“I got emotional on the phone to Mike, telling us we got the job.
“I phoned my daughter in Australia. I phoned Flicker (Flitcroft). He was the first person I phoned and it was special.
“I needed to be on my own outside the cricket club and compose myself.
“I tried to whisper it to my family, I went over my little boy and whispered it in his ear and said ‘we got it’, there was a big smile on his face, and then I went to my mum and she knew and they all erupted. It was a special moment. We have gone through a lot with our families.
“The only disappointment was that our dads weren’t there to witness it. They would be proud as well. Two Boltonians getting this job – that’s something.”
For Flitcroft, also Bolton-born-and-bred, it was an equally joyous moment.
The former Bury and Mansfield boss watched from the terraces at Burnden Park as a kid and is looking forward to taking his opportunity to revive the club’s fortunes.
“We felt the interview had gone well but when Hilly rang me and let me know we’d got it… well,” he smiled. “We planned. We knew what a big job it would be in terms of recruitment but there was nothing that deterred us.
“We absolutely wanted this, wanted it together. It is a brilliant day when you get that call and find that your hometown club needs you and had come calling. There is no better feeling. It was absolutely brilliant.”
Several names were linked with the job including ex-club captain Kevin Nolan and Bristol City coach Dean Holden but in the end Hill’s experience at League One level and his reputation for attacking football got him over the line.
The former Rochdale boss believes he presented pretty compelling case.
“The owners didn’t have to come and chase us,” he said. “We were chasing them. When we want to chase people down, me and Flicker, we are not bad actually.
“I have got to say actually about the ownership, they are marvellous people, they are affectionate, they are warm, the interview process was superb and we knew we wanted to work for these people.
“Since we have been at the club, we have monitored, helped by Emma (Beaugeard), the new CEO, who has made us feel really welcome.
“We are looking forward now to phase two of the challenge we have got.
“We are not comfortable. We are not civilised. We chase challenges. We are fighters. We are up for this. It’s not easy. We have never have anything easy. We are from Bolton and we are really prepared to take this challenge on.”
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/17878300.keith-hil-david-flitcroft-getting-bolton-wanderers-job/